


The Conquest of West Side Island

by MaverickKayPrime



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-16
Packaged: 2018-05-01 19:32:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 86,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5218055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaverickKayPrime/pseuds/MaverickKayPrime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Welcome to a world much like ours, but is different. A world where the hero of South Island wasn't a blue blur, but a black wind. A world where his partner isn't a two-tailed fox, but a devious bat. A world where a great doctor, is a great dictator. Welcome to West Side Island, home of the seventh Chaos Emerald. Prepare yourselves for an adventure unlike any other. Are you up 2 it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. When Rouge Met Shadow

When Rouge Met Shadow

The gentle swaying of the ocean echoed in the distance. It was close, far closer than she expected. She didn't expect to get this close to the beaches. She thought his items would be in a far gloomier area. After all, she had heard tales about him. Tales about Mobius Hero. She had heard the titles, the nicknames, the legends. She had heard about his strength, his tenacity, his powers, but above all, his speed.

After all, one of his more prominent names was, the Black Wind.

He was the hero of South Island. So, naturally, the first area she went to first was South Island. It was said after his adventure, the island became ten-times more beautiful. That the legendary Black Wind collected six stones of amazing power, and used them to bring wonder and beauty to an island that had such wonder stolen from it by an evil dictator.

But legends spoke that there was not only six stones. That, among them, there were seven. How myths say that, when all these seven stones are collected, then the wielder will be granted unimaginable power.

All of that was uninteresting. To the white-furred bat, she cared not about legends and myths. Stories about gods and magical powers, about heroes and villains, about floating islands in the sky, she didn't care about any of that. She was more interested in the physical aspects of these items. These six stones, they were known as Chaos Emeralds. And they were wonderfully beautiful. Amazingly so.

That's what she really wanted. She could care less about the powers they were claimed to have, and was more interested in the sights they actually beheld. Though six of the Emeralds were known to have flown somewhere else after South Island's revolution, the Black Wind was stated to hold the mystical seventh. And that's why she was here.

The many and random ticks of her scouter were echoing at a higher rate now. She was a smart girl, capable of creating device like this on her own skills. At one point hiding behind trees, she tipped her head over the bark to see a vehicle. A red vintage-style biplane, one that looked to be remastered by the will and determination by someone who truly cared. There was a name on the biplane.

'Maria', it said.

The bat's nose twitched after reading the title. Raising her fingers, she tapped the side of her scouter. The lens through which she gazed showed her the image of the plane, as it was enveloped in a yellow line. Said line shifted however, as it slowly began to read the strength of a crazy power.

"There we are," she said with a sultry voice, a womanly giggle escaping her soon after.

She may have been uninterested in the power these artifacts own, but that doesn't mean she didn't believe in them. It was her job as the world's greatest treasure hunter to know about her target; inside and out. Less that bastard Nack steals the limelight from her.

She grabbed her scouter's side, pushing it up so the lens wouldn't blind her face. What she was after was definitely inside the biplane, there was no denying that. But before blindly running ahead, her teal eyes scanned her surrounding area.

The beaches. The forest. The skies overhead. The sands beneath her feet. There was no one there. The only sound she heard was that of beach's waves, and the wind in the air. The bat licked her lips, while her attentions returned to the mission at hand. She walked to the biplane, perfectly convinced she was in the clear. The Chaos Emerald was inside the plane's cockpit, she knew it. She pressed her back up against the plane's hull, staring around to make sure she was still safe. There was still no one around looking at her; was this really the Black Wind's plane? Who cared; the treasure inside was all hers.

The bat turned around, staring inside the biplane's open cockpit and the seat within. A single seater; clearly someone flew alone. Or were all biplanes single-seaters? She didn't care; her expertise was treasures, not planes. Speaking of treasures...

There it was. Glowing with a brilliant shine in her eyes. Her teal eyes appeared to glow with the stone, while they grew in size. Her gloved hand rose to grab the stone, like a baby reaching for a shiny new toy. Soon, another shiny toy would be all hers. Oh Chaos Emeralds, how you illuminate so.

PAT!

There was a grip on her hand. A powerful grip. It was tight, but not strong; she never felt to be in pain at any point in time. Nonetheless, the grip around her wrist was unflinching. She could barely move her arm, let alone her hand. It was a grip that showed there was no escape whatsoever.

The bat's eyes were wide, while her pupils and irises were small. She was stunned silent, surprised to actually be caught. Her large ears weren't just for show; they could hear a pin drop from yards away in even the most wildest of circumstances. How could she not hear anyone sneaking up on her?

The wind in the area was rushing now, sounding like the wind was howling. It all came to a stop however, and it happened right to her right. The white-furred bat looked up and over to the person who held her so strong. She found a pair of red eyes burning back.

He was taller than her, but not by much. Funny, she expected her attacker to be tall. But damn he was handsome. A hedgehog with black fur, and red streaks on his quills. On his muzzle, a distinctive scowl, while those powerful red eyes slid into even stronger glares. Who was this mysterious assailant with his hand on her wrist, and a grip tightening to the point that she started to wince? Why was he so mysterious? Why did he own these powerful eyes that felt like they were glaring into her very soul?

And then he spoke.

"I believe this is my plane," the black hedgehog said with a voice which shook her to her core.

So this was the legendary Black Wind. He was fast. Too fast. She was surprised such an action was even possible. His speed was as great as stories claimed it to be; she was foolish for ignoring them. Now she was in a tight spot, and it was only growing tighter.

The black hedgehog's face grew harder, while his grip began to hurt her even more. He yanked the limb up high as he got a better look at her. The white-furred bat could feel those ruby eyes, taking in her very image. Her teal colored eyes, the red lipstick on her lips, the mascara on her lids, her voluptuous figure, and her wings which were quite large for her.

She felt violated, if anything. How dare he stare at her in such a way? But if he was looking at her with those eyes, he surely didn't show it. The black and red hedgehog retained eyes of scorn, as his grip continued to keep her trapped.

But not for long.

"PERVERT!"

SMACK!

Her hand dashed across his cheek, unleashing his grip around her wrist. The bat stepped back as she stared up to the black and red hedgehog, eyes wide as she looked at him. His face was now looking off into the distance, forced that way thanks to her attack. But he held it there for so long, unmoving; still, like a statue. But ever so slowly, he looked back at her. His face was the same as before; scowling and aloof. He didn't show any pain from being slapped, or even appeared to acknowledge it. The only sign that he had been slapped was thanks to a slight red blush on his face.

"Wrong choice..." he stated, his voice as low and foreboding as it was before.

Her ears twitched; her eyes shot down. His right hand was now a fist. Instinctively, she knew what he was about to do. A man of action; he didn't wait around with formalities. Fortunately she knew what to do and how to do it. The bat quickly juked to the right, just in time to dodge a vanishing blow to her head.

It was intense, how fast he moved. One moment he was standing with one fist clenched, the next his fist was where her head once was. Her teal eyes traveled up the entire length of his arm, stopping at the red glares from his eyes. Through it all, his face held that indifference it had from before.

Why hadn't he hit her though? It was clear to her he could have stricken her if he wanted to, and yet he didn't. Did the black hedgehog take pity on her? Did he actually see her facade as real, and was going easy on the bat? His mistake; she was more dangerous than he could ever imagine. And she was going to punish him for taking her so lightly.

Her foot shot up like a piston, aimed for his chin. A blow this fast and this powerful was impossible to dodge, and likely to knock him clean out. As she did so, the bat gave an uppity and powerful smirk.

"Gotcha..." she whispered.

Her foot hit nothing. It careened harmlessly in the air, as she now stood on one foot. Her eyes were wide, the teal orbs within small from shock. The black and red hedgehog she attempted to strike was at the end of his biplane, staring at her with arms crossed. His eyes steadily fell into a glare, as he gave the bat this powerful look of indifference.

The bat slowly put down her foot, though her eyes did not loose their shocked expression. How did he dodge her attack; it was without warning and sure to hit. But the hedgehog now stood some ways away as if he was always there. He uncrossed his arms to reach into his plane, where in which the hedgehog grabbed an item. The bat watched as he did this, following with eyes most entranced. When the hedgehog's hand returned, within he held that which she sought.

A green stone that glowed with an almost mystical resonance. All light in the air seemed to go away, as the glow of this shining emerald drew her eyes in unanimously. She couldn't stare anywhere but there. The bat wanted it so bad now; she was practically reaching out for it with her mind.

But the black and red hedgehog pulled the Chaos Emerald back. He glared directly at the bat as he cupped the Emerald in hand. Then he placed it away, where it vanished. His red eyes returned to glaring at her, while he took a fighter's stance.

"Don't play dumb with me," he growled, fangs shown in full, "I may not know who you are, but I don't have to. You're no innocent girl; only someone trained can deliver a kick that strong. You're after the Chaos Emerald, aren't you?"

The bat's eyes finally returned to normal. No longer was she surprised by this black hedgehog, but instead entranced by him. There was something about him, about the legendary Black Wind, that drew her in. He was unlike other fools she stole from; he was clearly smarter than the rest. Be that as it may, she wanted that Chaos Emerald. He may have been faster than her, and maybe even stronger than her, but he sure as hell wasn't smarter than her. Her skill, tenacity, cunning, not to mention feminine-wiles would make him just another in a long line of victims.

She pursed her lips, licked them as well, then gave a most domineering smirk. His face didn't move in the slightest.

"Well then..." the bat said, "Let's see what'cha got!"

Today was the day Shadow the hedgehog met Rouge the bat.

…

The wind. How she loved the wind. It brought smells and sounds from miles away. Today, it sounded like nothing but a gentle breeze, and the smells it brought was that of flowers from far off. This area was heavenly and beautiful, the white-furred bat could not deny that. Her dark and brooding friend really knew how to pick a place to live.

He usual sultry ways were replaced today. Where she lived, the bat was known to dress stylish and in a sexy manner. But out here in the country, her clothing was always replaced by something more down to earth. Today, instead of that heart-shape crest upon her body suit, she wore overalls with a violet shirt beneath. At least her high-heels remained though.

Rouge's teal eyes scanned the hillside as she walked further and further up. Her gloved hands sat on her hips as she got closer, wondering how many more flights of grass she needed to walk up. Sure, she could have easily flew up the hill with her impressive wings, but she needed to take her time.

Their was no point worrying about it now; she had arrived. The house she came to see was just a few yards away now, sitting there alone and undisturbed. Beside the home was a large shed, showing it held something extremely important within. Turning around, the bat's eyes fell upon a village that was at the base of these amazing hills. It was like this house stood guard over them; ever vigilant.

Rouge walked up to the home, where in which she knocked on the front door.

PAT! PAT! PAT!

"I'm over here..." a voice echoed.

Rouge looked over to the shed beside the small home, walking over to it with her sexy mannerisms. The shed's mighty doors were open, showing what sat inside. A red biplane, with the name 'Maria' written upon it. Looking under the biplane, she saw a pair of legs sticking out.

The bat rolled her teal eyes, before grabbing said legs. With one pull, she yanked out who worked beneath. Her eyes met the red ones of a black hedgehog. He looked up to her with his usual indifference, while patches of his fur and muzzle were stained brown by unknown fluids. Rouge clenched her nose, trying to wave away the smell which assaulted.

"Sweet Chaos, Shadow," the bat said, "You smell so bad!"

"I've been working on the Tornado all day," the hedgehog said as he pulled himself up, grunting whilst doing so, "She's been acting so weird as of late. I took her for a spin near North Island the other day, and she was sputtering throughout all of it..." he shook his head, "I was working on her."

"Ya'know Shadow, I've bee wondering," the bat said with her usual seductive voice, her eyelids folding to be half a gaze, "Why is your plane named 'Tornado' when it has 'Maria' written on the side?"

"Not now," the black and red hedgehog said with that indifferent tone in his voice, making Rouge roll her eyes, "I've been working on the Tornado all day, and I think she's ready to take flight..." he stared out his shed to the open blue skies outside, "It shouldn't take long to fly around the island a couple of times..."

"Is it always the same two things with you?" Rouge asked in a slightly condescending manner, "Work on the Tornado, fly around. Haven't you figured out what to do yet? Who would've thought the Legendary Black Wind would be so... well... boring?"

"If you have any better ideas..." Shadow replied, annoyed by her statement, "I'm all ears right now, Rouge."

He suddenly found a piece of paper flung into his face. The hedgehog pulled back, surprised by the object as he pulled it away from his face. Looking at it, Shadow found the image of a map staring back.

"It's called the Hidden Palace Zone," Rouge said as Shadow looked at the map, "It's commonly believed to be in West Side Island, that's what this map says anyway..."

The map showed various and detailed images of the Chaos Emeralds. It also showed the island of West Side, which wasn't too far from South Island. In fact, Shadow remembered passing it on his flight to North Island. But from what this map said, West Side Island held this mystical Hidden Place Zone within it.

Whatever that was.

"So... and...?" the black and red hedgehog asked as he looked up to his batty friend.

"Well, Shadow," Rouge said as she now sat on the side of his plane, "You've been searching for the magical seventh Chaos Emerald, haven't you? Legends state that the hidden seventh Emerald is in West Side Island. They say it's inside of this Hidden Palace Zone. I found that map in a pot I stole from Station Square Museum."

"Stealing pots now?" Shadow said as he handed the map to her before crossing his arms, "I thought you were only a diamond girl."

"Oh believe me, I am," Rouge said, "Why else do you think I stole the pot? Hidden Palace is supposed to have gems and jewels that are as beautiful as Chaos Emeralds within. At least that's what the legends say."

"Do you do anything for more than personal gain?"

"I hang out with you on a daily basis," she said with a point, making his eyes roll.

"Hang out," he said with air quotes added, "And 'annoy' are two different things, Rouge..." he traveled his eyes back to the map, "But this does have me... interested... I thought I had the seventh Emerald but... I've used the green one last time..." he looked back up to Rouge, "Fine then; we'll take a quick jaunt over to West Side Island to see if this... uh..." he checked the map, "Hidden Palace Zone even exists, and if the seventh Chaos Emerald is there," he looked back to the skies ahead, "At least it'll give me the chance to test the Tornado again."

"That's the spirit!" Rouge said with her arm hooking through the air, "Shadow and Rouge, adventuring together again!"

"Yes, yes... let's not make it like the first time..." Shadow said as he uncrossed his arms.

Rouge flipped her legs over and into the biplane's cockpit, grasping the steering wheel with both hands. Shadow walked over to the plane's propellers, slapping them to make them spin. The sound of an engine cranking up echoed into the hut, making him stare up to his devious friend. She was turning on the Tornado right then and there, bringing it to life.

It didn't take long for Shadow to leap upon the top of his biplane's wings, standing tall with arms crossed. He tapped his foot somewhat impatiently, ready to get a move one, when the vehicle jerked forward. The sudden action almost tossed him off, but he kept there with steady footing. Looking back at Rouge, he watched as she gave a childish giggle.

The Tornado began to roll forward at a more steady place from then on, riding upon the endless green acres that laid outside of Shadow's home. The vehicle dipped down a hill, before using the valley within to bound back into the skies. It may not have been a runway, but it got the job done. The Tornado, Rouge, and Shadow were now all air born.

The black and red hedgehog stood on his plane's wings with arms crossed, while his ivory bat controlled it directly. They were heading North East, before a quick course change to the North West set them on the right track.

Next stop...

West Side Island...

…

There are seven Chaos Emeralds. Not six, as originally believed. The seventh Emerald was kept on an island, far from the others. On this island, it was known that this island advanced far faster than the others. That the civilians of the island with the seventh Emerald was capable of creating cities far larger than anything.

But they wanted more than just to better themselves. They found the need to better others. In doing so, they reading themselves to attack the inhabitants of the surrounding lands with the Chaos Emerald at the forefront. It was a horrible action; no one could stop them with the seventh Emerald backing their actions.

Horrified by the actions the users of the seventh Emerald performed, the kami of the world felt the need to punish them. The seventh Emerald was taken away from them, and was placed deep within the ground so it could never be abused by the hands of those who wish for harm. And the seventh Emerald remained like that.

Until the six Chaos Emeralds were brought together. And now, the seventh Chaos Emerald has returned. Brought back to life thanks to the revival of South Island. The world would now be thrown into turmoil once more.

Red eyes beamed through the darkness of his office room. From the head of his business, this man with a most impressive mustache stared out of a window. It was raining outside, and horribly so. But in the far distance of this, there was this machine. A giant spherical machine, being put together slowly.

Slowly but surely...

Slowly but surely...

Slowly. But. Surely.

The man started to cup the purple glowing stone in his hand.


	2. Emerald Nights Zone

Emerald Nights Zone

He didn't expect it to take so long. He didn't think it was going to take all evening to get there. The black and red hedgehog honestly thought the trip was quick. He had said it himself; he passed West Side Island on his trip to North Island not too long ago. He was able to make it to the northern most island in a matter of hours. But this? This felt like it took forever!

Maybe it was because of the difference in time. He left for North Island early in the morning, while he left for West Side Island past the afternoon. Still, it was quite stunning how long it took them to get there.

By the time the first glimpses of West Side Island appeared, the stars were twinkling in the heavens. Shadow the hedgehog, the Black Wind, gazed to the starlit heavens. There was a warmth that passed through his heart, rumbling through his crossed arms as well. There was always something about the night that he couldn't shake. Something about staring into that endless ocean of stars that he felt was somehow familiar.

His ruby eyes snapped down from the skies, instead heading down to the horizon. His quills bounced endlessly as the rushing wind howled all around him. Standing on the wings of his biplane, he noticed more and more land appearing. His ears twitched, then he looked over this shoulder to the pilot of his plane.

She was there; the ebony bat with the teal eyes. Yawning and tired, it was clearly evident she thought the trip was going to be far quicker as well. Maybe then she would have dressed herself up into one of her more familiar jumpsuits, instead of the overalls she currently wore. But it didn't matter; they were here. West Side Island was visible by his red eyes.

"Bring her in for a landing..." the black and red hedgehog murmured as his eyes returned to staring out before him.

"What was that?" Rouge shouted back as she flew the Tornado, "I can't hear so well with all the wind around us!"

"I said bring her down for a landing!" Shadow shouted back, making her roll her eyes.

So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary; didn't feel out of the ordinary. They were well on their way for home, which was all they needed to be. He had his arms crossed and his eyes closed shut, ready to get a move on in their search. A part of him felt like the seventh Chaos Emerald wasn't here, but with all the time they wasted getting here, it would be a shame if they just turned around now.

Soon, he felt the wheels of his biplane land upon the smooth glades of grass. Shadow's eyes opened, watching as his deviant friend brought his plane in for a good landing. Before long they had come to a complete stop on a relatively level plane of grass. Shadow leaped off the head of his biplane, stepping foot on West Side Island.

Immediately, something felt odd.

"Well now, Hidden Palace Zone or bust, right?" Rouge asked as she walked up beside him, her teal lit eyes cutting the air to stare at his face, "Eh, Shadow? Is there something wrong? You seem off. Well, more than usual, ya'know."

The hedgehog didn't turn his head nor bat an eyelash. He continued staring off into the distance with arms crossed. Rouge was understandably confused by Shadow's silent nature; she could tell something was off with her friend. Spending enough time with Shadow would teach a person his many motions and nuances, no matter how small and secretive they be. And right now, the hedgehog had noticed something off.

"Where is everybody?" he asked in with his indifferent voice, his head moving to and fro as he scanned his surroundings.

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Rouge asked, eyebrow raised, "It is the middle of the night. Midnight, in fact. Everyone's probably at home asleep, Shadow. Which is where I should be right now..." a yawn escaped her moments later, "A girl has to get her beauty rest, ya'know."

"No, no..." the Black Wind stated, "There's something wrong here... something very wrong..." he eyed the land closely, "I can feel it..."

"Even if something is wrong – and that's a bit if – that's none of our business, Shadow," Rouge claimed, "We are here for one thing and one thing only; finding the Chaos Emerald. Whatever is going on with the island during that has nothing to do with us. So I recommend we stop worrying about something that has nothing to do with us, and just get a move on."

There was a silence that floated between the two for a few seconds, before the head of the hedgehog nodded solemnly. Suddenly the portholes on the bottom of his air shoes ignited. Flaring with fire, the black and red hedgehog dashed off for the oncoming hills. Rouge walked behind, her arms beside her head as she sighed.

"You're really a class act," she said as she suddenly began jogging, "Hey! Wait up!"

Her jogs became a dash, which turned into a sprint. Before long, her quick acceleration allowed her to catch up with the black and red hedgehog. He was the fastest thing in the world, meaning she must have been a close second. Before long, the duo was rushing through the midnight lit hills of Emerald Hill Zone.

The area felt so haunting. Skating above the grassy glades below, Shadow's eyes couldn't help but to stray toward the beaches off into the distance. How wonderfully they swayed; yet there was this horrible ambiance to them. Deep in down, Shadow could feel like they were wailing. And yet he knew not why. Maybe Rouge was right; he should just stop worrying about things and focus on the task at hand. Find the Chaos Emerald before it can fall into the hands of anyone else, ie, a certain tyrannical doctor.

The wooden planks of the bridge beneath his feet bent with his weight, while his speed started to take off. He felt the world around him begin to mix and blur, whilst gaining even more speed. Eyes shooting forward, he noticed a shuttle-loop created naturally. The black hedgehog smirked as he zipped into the shuttle-loop, not loosing speed even though he felt a sense of gravity loss. Upon successfully rushing through the loop, he looked over his shoulder.

She was still there, despite it all. The white-furred bat with the teal-lit eyes. Running up behind him with a blank expression on. Any other being would've been left in his dust eons ago, but not her. In fact, she was so used to this, it didn't appear to be any different from eating a sandwich.

However, she did notice him noticing her. One of her eyelids bent down while the other opened up, as if she was giving him a questioning glance.

"What's wrong?" she asked of him, showing annoyance, "Is there something on my face?"

"No, no," the black and red hedgehog replied with a smirk, his eyes looking forward, "I was just wondering if you could keep up."

"Of course I can keep up," the bat said as she was suddenly right at his side, surprising him, "And, just for the record, talking whilst running is not good for one's health."

The black hedgehog merely replied with a curt 'tch', before doubling his speedy efforts. He darted through a valley with waterfalls at his side, before sliding into a cave where the same waterfalls followed him. Feet making many splashes in the soaked ground, his eyes easily saw through the darkness handed to him. He looked back to see if Rouge was still there. And she was,; following close behind with that dull visage on her face.

Shadow would be lying if he said he wasn't impressed. The only things capable of keeping up with him would either be a robot, or a being from another universe.

Shifting his attentions forward again, the black and red hedgehog continued his trek through Emerald Hill Zone. Everything was as he expected to be; nothing seemed out of ordinary. Save for the fact that no one appeared to be around at all.

This came to an end however as he came across the first settlements of life. Shadow skidded to a halt with his air shoes flaring. Everything immediately came back together, as he stopped on the hillside. Moments later, Rouge did the same. Though her stop was far worse than his.

"AH!? DAMMIT!" she shouted as she fell came to a halt with wings wide, nearly running into a tree whilst doing so.

Shadow rolled his eyes then looked back down to the village down bellow. Eyes squinting in, he noticed that all the homes had their lights on as well. The black and red hedgehog smoothed back his quills as he began walking down the atoll, Rouge doing the same a few seconds later. Standing in the middle of the small town, he constantly moved his head left and right while red eyes darted to and fro.

"Oh yeah," Rouge said as she looked at him, "You don't look creepy at all."

Shadow ignored her.

"Hello!" he called, hands around his mouth, "Is anyone here!"

His calls fell on deaf ears, it would seem. Nothing happened, save for the gentle rustling of the night wind before him. Shadow didn't see anyone come out to answer his call, nor did any eyes appear in the window to look at the crazy hedgehog yelling at them. For all intents and purposes, this village was a ghost town. But it was worse; why were all the lights on? It were as if everyone left their homes for no reason with the lights still on. Shadow didn't like that, not one bit.

"Have you had your fun yet?" Rouge inquired as she walked past him, "We have a palace to find, ya'know," her eyes suddenly widened, further than Shadow expected, "SHADOW LOOK OUT!"

He was stunned by her command, before suddenly finding himself tackled to the earth. Rouge was atop him, keeping him pinned, while something red blurred right over head. Quickly the hedgehog and bat got to their feet, staring over to their unknown assailant. What they saw together was this long, sterling silver tail, slither onto the rooftop of the home in front of them. Looking up slowly, they noticed a pair of white eyes with black pupils gazing back. The rest of its body was covered by the darkness of the light. However, these pair of eyes were joined by two more. And all together, those eyes turned red.

"AKKIIII!" they heard a roar, much like an animal.

All in unison, those eyes leaped into the sky. Coming into the well lit center of the village, Shadow and Rouge could see what they were dealing with. Robots. Robotic monkeys, in fact. Silver and red, with crimson eyes aimed upon them. They were mobian in appearance, but taller than them. Their movements slithered about like snakes, being extremely fluid and hard to pin down. Shadow and Rouge got back-to-back as the trio of cybernetic monkeys surrounded them, making sure not to show any weakness as they were stared down. Neither said a word, while the monkeys began jumping around. They were howling at them like feral creatures, before they all began brandishing different weapons. One merely lifted its fists, another withdrew a staff, and the last pulled out...

Coconuts?

"URRRRAAAA!"

Said monkey with the coconuts suddenly flung one. As if in slow-motion, Shadow watched as it careened overhead. His eyes were wide with shock, as he noticed something cackling about the fruit. Rouge must have noticed it too, because she gasped merely seconds after him. Saying nothing to one another, they leaped clear of the cackling coconut.

KA-BOOOOOOM!

The explosion was bright and vibrant, not to mention large and loud. Shadow and Rouge covered themselves as debris was tossed their way, but they had only seconds to recoil before being attacked again. Shadow stepped back, barely dodging a swing from the monkey with the staff. It's actions were fast, far faster than he gave it credit for being. The mechanical primate was capable of keeping up with him, even as he stepped back and dodged. The staff swung for his head multiple times, but he dodged each and every blow. Behind him, Shadow could hear Rouge grunt and yell as she dealt with her own foe.

Shadow looked over his shoulder at his ally, watching as she traded fisticuffs with the monkey with no weapon. Well, not really fisticuffs; Rouge was always more of a foot person. She had lightning like legs, capable of breaking down anything with powerful kicks. But this robotic monkey was capable of blocking her strikes, stunning both Shadow and Rouge.

"AAAAIIIEEEE!"

He turned back forward, paying attention to his own foe. The monkey had jumped off of a wall to put some strength behind its next attack. Shadow put his arms out in an 'x' manner, right when the monkey slammed its staff upon his body. He blocked the strike just in time, saving himself from a knock-out blow. But the ape wasn't done; it began to rapidly slam its staff upon his body with powerful strikes. Shadow grunted as he blocked and deflected each and every attack, knocking them away like they were nothing. With one counter attack, Shadow was able to steal the staff right out of his opponents hands. To his surprise, the monkey gave a face of surprise, before being stricken by its own weapon.

"Now then..." Shadow said as he twirled the staff around in his hand like a baton, "How will end you this evening?"

"AAYIAAAAH!"

He looked over, just in time to see another coconut flung his way. In a black blur, he was able to dodge the explosive fruit and make his way near Rouge. Unfortunately, the coconut landed right near one of its allies. The once staff-wielding primate looked down at the faux-fruit right when it exploded.

KA-BOOOOOOOSH!

The area was sprinkled with steel debris, while Shadow rested his new staff on his shoulder. Looking over at the monkey robot with the endless amount of coconuts, Shadow prepared to fight him. Moments later, the body of another robot monkey was flung between. Shadow and his opponent looked to the body together, watching as it crashed into a home. Then they turned and looked at where the body was sent flying from.

"You jerk!" Rouge shouted as she started to march toward her opponent, "You ruined my make-up!" her wings started flapping, picking up wind, "You'll pay for that!"

When she took off to continue her bout, Shadow looked at the coconut-wielding ape. The two got ready to fight each other soon after. Shadow rushed for the ape, catching it off guard with his blinding speed. Staff in hand, he swung with all his might to the monkey's abdomen. But it leaped over him, landed on the ground behind, then struck with one if its feet. Shadow dodged the strike as he scoffed in annoyance, quickly curling into a ball as he rolled away.

These ape creatures were fast, he'd admit that. Not faster than him, but fast enough to dodge his strikes. As Shadow glared down his foe, he prepared himself for an attack that would be nigh impossible to dodge. He got down and started spinning in place, spinning faster and faster. His action caused him to get more and more speed, while the monkey stared at him with coconuts in hand. It suddenly threw explosive rounds at the black hedgehog, which detonated right in his face.

But through the flames Shadow suddenly rocketed out, the monkey stepped back to dodge, but it was too late. Like lightning, Shadow struck its chest, causing the ape to roar out. The impact caused the monkey's metallic frame to split apart, as it suddenly exploded. Shadow landed on the other end unscathed, and merely dusted off his shoulders and fur.

Dropping the staff in hand, he looked over to his ally, just in time to see Rouge's power-play. She was swaying her hips back and forth in a suggestive manner, a devilish smile on her lips. The monkey she faced got ready to strike her again, as it rushed toward the bat in a red blur. Rouge licked her lips in a sultry manner, before suddenly leaping forward on one foot.

Her other foot shot out like a bullet, striking the ape in its gut. The attack was not only strong, but also precise; it caught the ape despite its blurring motions. Before it could react, all around its body the ape felt powerful kicks. The blows were so strong, its body was dented in to the point that it couldn't even move. But Rouge wasn't finished; she wanted the ape to pay.

After all, she works hard to put all that mascara on her face.

Her last strike sent the monkey flying back into a building, where it immediately was deactivated thanks to all the hits it took. Rouge stood up straight after, before she quickly withdrew a pocket mirror. Checking her hair and face, she gave a look of pure astonishment, before anger.

"Oh! Now I have to fly all the way back to Night Babylon to clean all this up!"

She suddenly yipped as she was nudged aside by her dark friend. Arms crossed, Shadow walked up to the last mechanical primate Rouge just delt with. It was still running, though it couldn't move or do anything. Shadow looked down at the machine, as he lifted his fist. Suddenly he punched the defeated robot, grasping what sat within. When he pulled out his hand, there was a creature inside.

A blue bird. Small, weak, and gasping for air. She was a weak little thing and appeared to be put under extreme pressure. She could barely breath, let alone move her limbs. Extremely gently, Shadow got down and rested the blue bird upon the ground. Then he tapped her head.

"Flicky..." he whispered to her.

She didn't respond; the bird was simply too weak to give a reply. Shadow stood up soon after, his stance strong. His hands were in fists, while his red eyes were starting to burn. Rouge walked up to him with her hand out stretched.

"Shadow?" she called.

"Badniks..." the hedgehog whispered, a steady growl coming with it, "They were badniks! They were all badniks!"

"Don't say that!" Rouge said as she looked at him, "Don't say that, Shadow!"

"Badniks were here!"

"How do you know they're badniks!?" Rouge asked, "You're being paranoid again! Look, you said it yourself, he's dead! You've beaten him already!"

"He's never dead..." the black and red hedgehog growled, "If he was really dead, then these..." he pointed to the monkeys, "Wouldn't be here."

"How do you not know they aren't badniks you've met before, huh?" Rouge asked, "Didja think about that? They could be badniks you let go from one of your earlier romps!"

"I'm extremely thorough in what I do," Shadow said as he crossed his arms, "When I used the Chaos Emeralds the first time, all the badniks on South Island were destroyed. These pieces of trash shouldn't be here, at all. That can only mean one thing..." he stared down hard at is ally, "Dr. Robotnik is alive, and he's creating more badniks!"

"Darnit!" Rouge shouted, "I knew you were going to say that! Shadow, this doesn't concern us! We're here for one thing and one thing only; the seventh Chaos Emerald! We can't get mixed up in another fight with that dictator!"

"If Dr. Robotnik is here, then I'm sure he's after the seventh Chaos Emerald. It isn't just coincidence he'd be here on West Side Island where the mystical seventh Chaos Emerald is supposed to be. I'm sorry Rouge..." he shook his head, "But chances are, our interests and his interests overlap with one another..."

"Is it ever good news with you? Like, ever, Shadow?"

"Let's get moving..." he simply said as he started walking for the distance, "There's bound to be more badniks around."

Rouge opened her mouth to say something, but closed it. Instead, she slammed her foot in the ground as she grunted with anger and frustration. Ultimately however, she decided to follow the hedgehog out of the village.

…

Unit Coconut in Emerald Hill Zone had been destroyed. They weren't responding either, meaning their life energy unit had been removed. The man with the impressive mustache found that interesting. Only someone well-versed in his machines would be smart enough to remove the life unit from his badniks. He was dealing with someone he had faced before.

It didn't take the man long enough to figure out who had caused this. The man settled his glasses on his face as he gave a wide smile. Settling his tie around his neck, the man began to chuckle dementedly.

"So, so, so... my nemesis has finally decided to arrive," he moved his finger over and pressed a button on his desk, "I was hoping you'd show up sooner or later, you little little brat. But you will find it a tad bit harder from this point on."

Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1.

…

He was skating through the hills as fast as he pleased, trying to muscle out the thoughts of Dr. Robotnik. But it was impossible for him with all that had happened. Those damned badniks. He couldn't believe they were here, and by extension, he was here too. Dr. Robotnik.

He closed his eyes and thought hard on it. In his head, all he could see was that insane doctor. He remembered those eyes, that face. He remembered their final fight all those years ago. Their final battle at Scrap Brain Zone. He remembered how he he trapped the demented doctor in the center of his exploding base.

He should have died there. He should have met his end. Then why? Why didn't it happen?

"Shadow," Rouge's voice suddenly called out, snapping him from his self-imposed trance, "You're doing that thing again..."

He looked at her with a face of annoyance, then shifted his glare forward again. In the far distance, he could see the gleaming lights emanating from rooftops. It would seem a city was just up ahead; they'd arrive in only a few more minutes if they kept their speed up. So long as nothing came up during the way.

Headlights glared.

They were rushing faster and faster now, clearing the distance.

The howl of a powerful engine roared out.

Soon they'd be in the next zone, and one step closer to acquiring the seventh Chaos Emeralds.

Wheels began spinning.

"Shadow? Do you hear that?"

VEEEEERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Shadow slammed down the brakes, followed shortly by Rouge. From the grassy atoll right to their right, this machine vaulted over the hill. The hedgehog and bat watched as a four-wheeled vehicle slammed down into the ground, right before them. It's weight was so great, the earth shook in the immediate area.

In a flash, Rouge and Shadow had headlights sitting on them much. Sitting before them was a sterling red and silver vehicle. A mechanical beast of tremendous power. Four-wheeled drive allowing it to cross even the roughest terrain, 1000 horse power giving it the strength to survive survive any limits pressed by any other vehicle, and its 100% echo unfriendly. Most defining of its car was the spiral at the very end. A massive drill capable of burrowing into the hull of anything, be it rock, steel, or mobian in this case.

The latest model in Eggman Inc.'s 'Egg Mobile' series. The Egg Mobile-D. D stands for 'Drill' if you hadn't noticed.

"I see, another one of the doctor's machines," Shadow said as he faced the car, "Fine then! I was hoping something to break would show up sooner or later; I need to blow some steam off, if you hadn't noticed..." he suddenly parted his legs as he placed his hands together at his side. The palm of one hand was to the back of another, "Let's see how you handle this!"

"Shadow I don't think..."

Rouge's comment fell on death ears. Shadow's eyes burned, while a yellow-golden energy began to spark from his hands. Rouge stepped back as she saw this, using her arms to cover her eyes and her wings to cover her body. Shadow's charging quickly reached its peak, and this showed as the earth shook beneath his body.

They say Shadow is capable of powers beyond those of other mobians. Capable of shooting off bolts of energy only seen in science-fiction. Capable of vanishing in a blinding light, and reappearing somewhere else. They say that, when truly enraged, he can call upon power strong enough to level fields for miles around.

There is no name for the power he exhibits, no explanations either. But it must tie to the Chaos Emeralds somehow. Why? Because of what he yells out whenever he uses these powers.

"CHAOS SPEAR!"

Shadow threw his arms out forward, open palms aimed toward the Mobile-D. The black and red hedgehog fired a yellow bolt of pure power toward the vehicle, slamming it in the side. The area grew bright and vibrant from the clash, as the silver and red of the Mobile-D was illuminated by Shadow's attack. But in spite of the strength fired by the hedgehog, it wasn't enough. The Mobile-D suddenly reflected the Chaos Spear, throwing it back into Shadow's chest. It came so fast, it didn't give him enough time to dodge it.

BZZZZZZRRRRT!

The impact threw him away, tossing him into Rouge who ducked to dodge his flung body. Shadow didn't stop until he hit the ground, where in which he clenched his burning chest.

"Auuuuugh..." he groaned as he leaned up, gritting his teeth from feeling the brunt of his own blow.

"Shadow!" Rouge called out to him.

"Look out!" he shouted back.

Rouge stared over her shoulder, right when the Mobile-D flared to life. It rushed for her, making the bat fly to the air in order to dodge it. Changing direction, the vehicle aimed for Shadow instead. It ignited some sort of boost as it rushed for the downed hedgehog, forcing him to vanish in a blinding light.

When Shadow reappeared, it was right at Rouge's side. He was breathing hard, showing pain from his earlier Chaos Spear. When the Mobile-D drift turned around to face them, Shadow and Rouge got ready for a fight.

"I hope you got another one of those Chaos whatevers cooking in your sleeves," Rouge said as she looked at Shadow, the Mobile-D's engine howling.

"After what happened, I don't think that's such a good idea," Shadow grunted back, his hand caressing his searing chest, "Besides, I put everything I had into that blast. I... don't think I can muster up another one for a few more minutes. That wasn't too smart of me."

"You're telling me..."

VRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The Mobile-D flared for them, forcing the hedgehog and bat to evade it by way of jumping clear out of the way. As they dodged its blow, they noticed something together. On the silver dome of the vehicle, laid two optics. One small, one big.

Shadow and Rouge landed on the other side of the Mobile-D, watching as it turned around to face them. It's optics glared at them, while they stood back-to-back.

"Did you see it?" Shadow asked.

"Yeah I saw it," Rouge answered.

"Good! Together then!"

Rouge flew up high while Shadow skated toward the car. It dashed for him, it's silver drill aiming for his face. Before being hit, Shadow leaped up high. He curled into a ball and slammed down on the Mobile-D's chrome dome, bouncing off after striking it's optics. The 'eyes' of the Mobile-D spun around after the strike, attempting to locate Shadow after his attack. But before it could locate the black and red hedgehog, a pair of heels slammed into its eyes soon after.

All the Mobile-D could see was static after the strike. It struggled to return its sights, which caused the spherical dome that was it's head to spin around over and over again. By the time vision had been returned to it, the Mobile-D had the image of Shadow the hedgehog in its face. He would be the last thing it would see.

Shadow's fist dove into the optics of the Mobile-D, immediately eviscerating it into pieces. Sparks and wires ripped from the hole he created, forcing him to leap back. Only a few seconds later, the chrome dome detonated, causing an explosion which forced the wheels to fly off into random directions. Shadow and Rouge stared at the Mobile-D as they stood together, neither quite sure if the battle was truly done. All was silent, save for the cackling fire fuming from the Mobile-D's head.

And then the drill launched off.

Shadow suddenly tackled Rouge down, as the drill flew right over them. It crashed into a rock formation, immediately making it shatter. The duo looked at the carnage caused by the drill, before looking back to the Mobile-D's. It's last trick, it would seem.

"Well... then..." Rouge said as Shadow stood off of her, "Thank you for that, Shadow..."

"Don't mention it," the hedgehog answered her as he offered her a hand, "You saved me earlier, Rouge. I was merely repaying the favor..."

"Oh, I know it's more than that," she said with her usual seductiveness, her hand grabbing his hand, "You don't have to lie to me, Shadow!"

He merely rolled his eyes then walked over to the Mobile-D. It was still fuming with fire, though that would die out in due time. Shadow wasn't interested in that. No, he was more interested in what lay within. He balled his fist tight again, then suddenly punched the head of the Mobile-D. Rouge gasped in horror, as she watched Shadow wrestle something out of it's head. When he pulled it out, he was holding something that looked like a circuit board.

He stared at the device, being sure to turn it around and around to get a better look. When he found the answer he was searching for, he looked back to Rouge and tossed the circuit board at the bat.

"Remember when you asked 'how do you know they're badniks'?" he said as he started walking for the city in the distance, "I think that's your answer..."

Rouge looked at the circuit board he had given her. At first, she just saw a bunch of crap she had no idea about. When she turned it around however, the bat saw the insidious insignia of a certain dictator gazing back.

"Great..." Rouge said as she tossed the circuit board up, now following Shadow in his walk, "Freaking beautiful..."

…

The doctor's eyes opened. He wasn't angry, but he wasn't happy. If anything, he was content. He had accepted the action as if it were unavoidable. Sure, he had hoped his machine would kill them, but he knew such an outcome was unlikely. No, his nemesis was far too intelligent to let some simple machine kill him with ease.

"So, Shadow," the man with the impressive mustache said, "The Mobile-D proved to be too weak for you, hm?" despite the dark room, his glasses caught a reflection which illuminated the lens, "Well then, Shadow!" he gave a most sadistic smile, "Let's see how you survive my plant!"

Emerald Hill Zone complete.

Next stop, Chemical Plant Zone.


	3. Chemical Imbalance Zone

Chemical Imbalance Zone

"Mm-hm! Perfect!"

The cherry-red lipstick with the cherry flavor and scent was steadily released from its container. She dragged it against her lips, painting them just as red as it was before. Ya'know, before that bastard of a fake monkey ruined all of that hard work. But, hey, now she had even better makeup to smear on her face. And boy did it make her it make her look damn fine.

The sultry bat pulled back, puffing her lips a bit as she blew a kiss into her reflection. Then she turned around, placed the lipstick into her overall's breast pocket, then walked through the beauty and cosmetic store. There was just one big problem with all of it.

There wasn't a soul in the place. The entire store, from one wall to the other, was completely empty and devoid of any life. There wasn't another mobian or human for that matter as far as the eye could see. And it didn't get any better as she exited the store. The city streets? Empty; no cars or anything drove on the roads. The sidewalks? Just as empty; no one was walking here nor there. It was like the entire city had vanished into thin air. There was only one person in the entire city here with her; the black and red hedgehog with his arms crossed.

"I can't believe I let you do that..." Shadow stated, his ruby eyes glancing at Rouge.

"I honestly can't believe you stuck around," Rouge replied, her hand gently caressing his bottom jaw and chin, "But thanks, Shadow. You're such a gentleman."

He rolled his eyes as she giggled, then uncrossed his arms. Together they walked through the city, neither side knowing what to do, really. Well, Rouge didn't. She had that map in her hand, reading it deeply in a feigned attempt to locate the fabled Hidden Palace Zone. Shadow however was currently disinterested in their overall quest. He paid more attention to the land around them, and the lack of life within it.

"Shadow."

"Mmm...?"

"Shadow!"

"Huh, what?"

He stopped to look at her, a perplexed gaze on his face. The bat was glaring at him in a most antagonistic way, her fists on her hips as she was bending over. The red eyes of the hedgehog attempted to understand what the teal eyes of his ally were saying. And spending enough taught him well to understand his flirty friend.

"Great..." he said sarcastically, "What did I do now?"

"Were you even listening to me, Shadow!?" she shouted at him, making the hedgehog roll his eyes before shaking his head, "Of course you weren't. You were stuck in that thick head of yours again, weren't you? Ugh... I said our best best bet of finding Hidden Palace Zone is to check near Mystic Cave Zone. After all, you don't get the name 'Mystic Cave Zone' for being an ordinary cave..." she lifted her map up high as they started walking off, "They said Mystic Cave Zone was created when the seventh Chaos Emerald was placed in the earth by the island's kami. For many years, the inhabitants bore into the earth to find the Emerald, but it was never located..." she pulled down her map and glared at the hedgehog, watching as he looked in the opposite direction of her, "You weren't listening again, were you?"

"No, I heard you..." he said lowly, watching a paper fly by in an alleyway they passed, "I was just... thinking about everything..." he looked back to Rouge, "What do you know about this city, anyway?"

"West Side Island's biggest power plant is in this city," Rouge said as Shadow stopped, now walking near a street-side water fountain, "It powers the entire city... h-hey, whatcha doin' Shadow?"

"I'm thirsty..." he answered easily enough.

His finger brushed against the side of the water fountain's switch, while he lowered his head. Eyes closed, he pressed on the switch to get something to drink. What he got instead made the hedgehog pull back in pure disgust. H glared down to the fountain, noticing this deranged purple goo oozing from the fountain's head. The hedgehog quickly cleaned his mouth and lips of the fluid, while his ally ran up to him.

"Shadow!?" she shouted, "What happened!?"

He merely growled back his answer. Before Rouge could reach him, bullets rained down on the hedgehog's position. She pulled up her arms and wings to defend against the hailstorm, even if it wasn't aimed for her. Shadow watched the bullets fall around him before getting near his body, where he vanished in a black blur. Rouge looked up, just in time to see a black blur dash across the side of the building directly in front of them.

THRASH! THRASH!

He landed right near her, posed in a way where his hand was on the ground. Staring back to the building he seemed to strike for no reason, pieces of steel fell upon the ground. It fell around the fountain Shadow attempted to drink from, revealing strange robotic machines. Ones armed with high-powered machine guns.

"How... how long were they there?" Rouge asked as Shadow picked up one of the robots.

"I don't know..." Shadow said as he suddenly gazed up to all the tall buildings around them, "How much are you willing to bet that there's more? And they're probably aiming at us right now?"

"I really hate being your friend, Shadow..." Rouge growled, to which the black and red hedgehog grabbed her hand.

In a flash, they were gone. A black streak rushing through the streets at high speeds. However, on the sides of buildings all around them, these machines began to appear. Red and white, and hooked firmly into the walls. They aimed the tops of their heads toward the two running mobians, before raining a maelstrom of bullets upon them.

"Shadow, where are we going!?" Rouge shouted as she dodged bullets as best she could.

"To the power plant!" Shadow replied as he flung Chaos Spears in random directions, causing explosive sparkles to echo around them, "I have quite the right of mind to think the Doctor has something to do with that place!" he suddenly flared blue, "Chaos! Control!"

…

A subtle beeping echoed throughout his area. He rose a finger, shifting the weight of his glasses as to get a better look at his desk. A virtual map of the entire island now lay before him, from as far as as Emerald Hill. The subtle beeping was echoing from one certain area.

He wiggled his nose as he moved his finger over. Looking at an area, he found a light resonate within a certain section of the map. He tapped it, causing the map to zoom it. The high-definition hologram showed a city, but more specifically, the power plant that sat outside the city. It was enough to bring a smile to the well-dressed man's face.

"Yesh, yesh," he said, his glasses casting a sheen from an unseen light source, "Come closer, Shadow. Fall into my trap!"

Shadow and Rouge have entered Chemical Plant Zone.

…

"BLEH!?"

POW!

She landed face-first, despite the fact that she had wings. Her stoic and brooding partner landed on his feet however, while his ruby eyes peered over the area before him. So this was the city's power plant; it sure didn't look like one. From the outside – which is where he stood – he could see various large tubes flowing with some strange blue goo. These tubes, like highways, were wild and frenetic, and all of them stretched into the deep confides of the mechanical base before him. He got down on one knee and placed his palm to a tube he stood upon. He could really feel something running through it.

"Dammit, Shadow!" the bat behind him said as she got up from the ground, rubbing her face to soothe the pain, "You know I hate Chaos Control! You know that! Warn me next time!"

"If there's going to be a next time," the black and red hedgehog said as he withdrew his green Chaos Emerald, "Hmmm..."

It illuminated the area, casting a shade anywhere that wasn't in Shadow's immediate vicinity. He seemed to focus on the energies the Chaos Emerald gave off, nodding as if agreeing with something. He then pulled it back and placed it away, walking soon after upon the tube he stood on.

"Wait! Shadow!" Rouge shouted as she followed behind, "Wait for me!"

He found himself skating soon after, while the sound of footsteps echoed behind him. Looking over his shoulder at Rouge, she was running to keep up pace with him. That would all stop when the pipe they ran upon suddenly aimed down. Shadow jerked, as gravity shifted, and his speeds suddenly hit a peak. He could see the base rush up to them, an open door as if pleading for the bat and hedgehog to come inside. He was running so fast, he didn't even care that it was clearly open for him.

Until they entered the base. The doors immediately slammed shut behind them, and Shadow skidded to a halt. He turned around and gazed at the door, with Rouge doing likewise. The Black Wind's eyes slowly slid down into a squint, before the sound of alarms echoed all around him. He glared up as red lights flared, then he glared down and scoffed. And then he glared all around him to the area they stood in.

"Doing some glaring?" Rouge asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Not now!" he replied, as they leaped away in unison.

Bullets rained upon their position, causing sparks to fly as led met steal. Ruby eyes glared around to the walls, noticing those same orange and silver machine that fired upon them in the city. His palm briefly surged with power, before dimming out. He expelled a surprisingly good amount of energy with his Chaos Control over here; he needed to conserve some of that strength.

"Let's go!" he instead said as he curled up into a ball, flying forward in a yellow and black streak.

He struck a machine, severing it into pieces, while Rouge flew high and delivered a kick which sent one machine flying into another. While Shadow pin-balled around, destroying one machine after another. He came to a halt after the room was devoid of them, and the floors littered with badnik corpses. Rouge landed to his side, her teal eyes aiming for the exit to this room. But when shadow opted to walk by instead of run by, the sultry bat looked at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Shadow what are you...?"

He crouched down near one of the defeated Badniks, searching through the scrap heap shortly. It didn't take long for a cute white and grey rabbit to appear in his hands. He cupped it briefly, watching as it struggled to breath after being abused for so long. The hedgehog's head shook to and fro, before he placed the rabbit back down.

"Pocky..." he said, calling the rabbit by its name. He then showed rage, this burning red aura briefly erupting from his body, "Doctor...!"

"Shadow, calm down!"

"Yes, yes, calm down, Shadow. We don't want you rising your blood pressure!" his voice echoed.

Rouge locked up, while Shadow stood. His eyes ran along the walls around them, searching for where he may hide. But he saw nothing, other than the cold steel walls of Chemical Plant Zone. It made him fume with rage, especially considering he could do nothing about it.

"Doctor! When I find you-!" he shouted.

"If you find me!" that same voice answered, this most insidious chuckle following soon after, "I'm waiting, Shadow the hedgehog!"

CLICK! Silence.

Shadow stood there, his back turned toward Rouge, while he breathed ever so loud. The bat could hear it, even without her superior hearing. Her ally sounded like he had just run many laps without a stop, but Shadow could easily do such a thing without getting tired. Breathing like this was a true terror to the bat.

"Shadow?" she called to him, genuine concern in her voice.

"Let's go..." the black and red hedgehog replied, his shoes immediately flaring up as he darted out of the room.

Rouge looked down to the metallic floor, feeling a slight tinge of pain at her friend's callous remark. Her teal eyes moving to the ground, she gazed upon the body of the hare Shadow pulled from the badnik. It's name was Pocky, right? Shadow knew the bird in Emerald Hill Zone – that being Flicky – and he knew the rabbit as well. Maybe he was more sociable than she originally thought he was.

Her wings began to flap, taking her off as she followed her black ally. It didn't take long to catch up, as he was skating at a relatively leisurely pace. All around them, the whirring sounds of machines were hard at work. There were clicks and clacks everywhere, busy churning something no doubt terrible and poisonous. As they passed a window, Shadow stared outside. There was a river, over flowing with a bile green fluid. It made the hedgehog choke, and yet he persisted.

Until the lights went out. All the alarms and everything grew silent, as they ran into a dark room. Shadow stopped immediately and so did Rouge, unsure of what to do next. The Black Wind quickly withdrew his Chaos Emerald, bringing a light into the area. He then noticed a porthole on the floor, right before his feet. He stared into the hole his foot threatened to fall into, right when something flew out.

BLO-BLO-BLOOP!

He quickly dashed back, right as a chain link of blue balls flew out. It quickly landed into another hole a few feet away, vanishing as it did so. Soon after the lights came back on. The entire room was a giant cube, with many holes on the floor beneath his feet. And they were all starting to bubble.

BLO-BLO-BLOOOP!

BLO-BLO-BLOOOOOOOP!

BLO-BLO-BLOOOOOOOOOOOP!

All around them, those blue balls came flying out of the holes. And they were all aiming for them. Shadow scoffed at them, his superior speed more than enough to dodge each ball flung his way. This was easily, simply so. Even Rouge found dodging the string of balls to be easy, as she made her way around the room by sliding and bending. What was the point of this? To tire them out? Unlikely.

"AUGH!? SHADOW!?"

He turned around, eyes staring up to the bat who screamed out his name. She looked angry as she struggled, finding her body being held tightly in the skinny arms of another badnik. They hung from the ceilings with a thin wire stretching from his behind, yes, they. There were more than them, a plethora of these spider-like robots. All of them black and white, and all of them with skinny arms that knew not release.

"I... can't... break... AUGH!?" Rouge's scream was right in time with the bug robot's clinch, as it started to pulsate and flash a red color, "Ahhhh...!? Shadow!"

He quickly curled up, spin dashing toward his ally and striking the badnik square in its head. The explosion sent them both flying back, stopping only when they hit the ground. That was one badnik, what about the hundreds of others steadily descending upon them right now? They got back to back – much like they did when facing the Coconut Badniks from before. It appeared to be some pose they shared.

"Alright, so now what?" Rouge inquired, getting ready for a fight with these bugs.

"You tell me," the black and red hedgehog said with a smirk, clearly showing he was about to enjoy the oncoming fight, "Honestly, I need a release."

The Grabbers. A machine in Eggman Inc.'s Badnik series. They all slowly got down to the ground, and upon meeting it, the cords they held with the ceiling detached. They began to crawl about upon all fours, getting closer to Shadow and Rouge.

And then a Grabber leaped for them. Shadow's hands struck out in a chopping motion, swatting it away. But there was only a few second gap before another Grabber jumped at him, forcing the hedgehog to strike it with a punch. On the other end, Rouge was having similar problems. She would kick a Grabber away, only for another to fly at her, forcing her to do likewise.

And this isn't mention the holes in the floors. While Shadow was striking down Grabbers left and right, he forgot all about the holes which sat beneath his feet.

BLO-BLO-BLOOOP!

The blue worm made of balls suddenly shot out, striking Shadow in the chest as it attempted to fly into another hole. The strike pushed him back a few feet, causing him to collide with Rouge. She was nearly knocked down from the impact, though it did disrupt her concentration. Suddenly gasping, she had only a few seconds to dodge another Grabber jumping for her. She ducked, and it got a hold of Shadow instead.

The hedgehog grunted as he attempted to force the Grabber off his body, and when Rouge stood up she tried pulling it off as well. Their combined force did nothing however, as the Grabber began to pulsate. It's yellow and black body began flashing a red color. Shadow could feel the machine get hotter and hotter as it held him, while it grew even bigger.

It was about to explode!

"OOF!?"

He was suddenly winded, feeling something powerful slam into his gut. At the same time, the eyes of the Grabber bulged in a comical fashion, as it suddenly fell off his body and laid lifeless on the ground. Staring forth, he looked at Rouge who was just pulling back her foot.

"Sorry about that," she said, showing she had kicked a clean hole through the Grabber in order to save him.

"Don't... mention it..." the black and red hedgehog replied as he gripped his gut, forgetting how hard a kick to the gut from Rouge felt, "Alright move... I'm going to get rid of them all!"

The Black Wind slowly rose his hands, placing them together as he started charging yet another power of his. But before the attack could launch, he heard the sound of giggling. It caught him off guard, and made him look over his shoulder toward his ally.

"Rouge?" he said, noticing the bat was chuckling like a schoolgirl, "What are you doing?"

"Hmm... I've been preparing for things like this, Shadow," the bat said as she suddenly hunched over, her arms over her gut, "This time! I'll be the one who saves us!"

Shadow rose an eyebrow in confusion at what Rouge said, while she closed her eyes. The many Grabbers surrounding them got closer and closer, forcing Shadow to back up to his ally. He was prepared to deal with them, but was also intrigued by what Rouge had said. If she really had something to get out of this predicament, he was all ears. If it didn't happen soon however, he had enough energy to expel them.

"Errrrr..." his ears twitched, "Errrr!"

"Rouge, what are you doing?" he asked, noticing she was making that sound.

"ERRRRRRR!" the Grabbers all around them suddenly leaped in unison, "EERRRAAAAAAAARRRGH!"

Rouge's eyes were wide, her pupils dilated, while her mouth was opened wide. She gave a mighty shout, one strong enough to send an eerie rumbling through Shadow's ears. He clenched them to stop the pain, which couldn't be done for the Badniks they faced. Her roar was more powerful than one would believe. Being a bat, she was capable of ultrasonic sounds, which she emitted with ease. The shock wave of sound echoed throughout the chamber, and everything grew silent.

Because everything stopped moving.

Shadow stared around, noticing the Badniks they faced were all frozen solid. Not one of them moved, and the ones in the air suddenly fell the ground. For all intents and purposes, the Black Wind was stunned silent. And being brutally honest, that almost never happens.

"Whoa... where'd you learn that?"

"family secret..." he heard his ally say, her voice unusually small and squeaky, "now... shadow... my voice hurts... a little help puhweeeeezee..."

Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1.

…

Amazing. Even he'd have to say that. The doctor had studied them quite a bit, and never knew she was capable of such feats. The sultry fighter known as Rouge; he had always labeled her as being nothing more than Shadow's sidekick. His main-squeeze; a girlfriend at the most.

The dictator pulled back from the screen, showing an image of Shadow as he helped Rouge up to her feet. Once again those glasses of his caught a reflection of light from somewhere, and once again he pushed his glasses up on his nose. The doctor smiled maliciously, his finger brushing along the length of his mustache. The black and red hedgehog on the screen was holding a green stone, much like the purple stone already in the man's hand.

"Shadow... Shadow..." he whispered to himself, his fingers now prodding one another, "Why don't you just give in now? It would make everything far easier..." he bent his head down, "You've already brought the Chaos Emerald I need to the island; victory is simply impossible, don't you see?"

Suddenly a light appeared in the room, making him look up. This light was more than just a simple blue beam that stretched up, however. It showed the image of a woman, tall and beautiful, in what appeared to be business casual. She stared at the man behind his desk and gave a courteous bow, before pulling back up.

"Dr. Robotnik," the hologram said, "The Egg Mobile-W has been complete. Awaiting further instructions."

He turned away from her, facing instead out the window. It was still raining where he sat, but construction was coming along nicely. The egg-shaped monstrosity that would be his greatest creation was nearing completion; with time it would be operational.

"I see..." he said as he turned back around in his chair, smiling at the hologram of the woman, "Well then, I believe it is only right if I were to test out the new Egg Mobile, correct?" the hologram nodded enthusiastically at his statement while he stood up, "Maria, you are to run the building in my absence. This shouldn't take too long."

"Yes, Dr. Robotnik. Enjoy your leave, Dr. Robotnik."

The hologram suddenly vanished, with the dictator leaning back in his chair. Smiling, he placed the purple Chaos Emerald down in a specific holding cell for it upon his desk. Then his finger slid to a button on his chair's armrest, where pressing it caused his desk to slide away. It was revealed that his seat was actually large and spherical, and it even levitated above the earth. When the doctor pressed another button, a glass spherical dome covered him completely.

A slot beneath his chair opened, and he fell inside.

…

"So what was that you did back there?" the black and red hedgehog asked as he looked over his shoulder toward his ally, one who was rubbing her neck as she ran.

"Oh? That old thing?" the bat replied, as if it were nothing, "My Beauty Shock. With a voice like mine, I can stop man – or machine – dead in their tracks."

"For a change, give me a straight answer..." the hedgehog said with eyes rolling.

"Okay, okay, fine. I can create ultrasonic waves with my voice, Shadow. Some training I did. Are you happy knowing my secrets? Care to tell me how you warp around like you do?"

"I've told you before and I'll tell you again," he said, his ruby eyes cutting back to the endless halls they dashed down, "I don't know how I do my Chaos Powers... I just know it deals with the Chaos Emeralds and that's it. When I'm around them, I feel so much stronger and..." he shivered, "Ugh... just never mind..."

His Chaos Powers were always a source of wonderment surrounding the Black Wind. No one knew how he did it, not even him. It was as if it were hardwired into his brain. The ability to warp, to call upon powers no mortal should own. To grind dimensions within his fists, to even stop time.

None of that mattered right now; he wanted to destroy this entire base with his hands. He was going to find the one center of the Chemical Plant Zone and was going to end the horrors brewing within; whether Rouge wanted to or not.

The amount of Badniks in this act of the zone was significantly lower than the number of Badniks in the earlier act. The hedgehog found this to be weird; usually it was the exact opposite. He remembered making it to the third act of Green Hill Zone last time, to a place literally filled with Badniks. It was a good evening destroying each and every one of them.

Staring forward, Shadow could see a gleaming light break into the endless hall he and Rouge ran down. The duo increased their speed at the sight of it, rushing faster to break free from their current area.

And on the other side of the area with the massive bright lights, they found themselves suspended high above the air. This large area had to be at least fifty-stories deep, fifty-stories high, and fifty-stories wide. Maybe even more; the two mobians were ants in relation to the rest of the area. Shadow and Rouge's speed slowed down as they noticed this, while their eyes moved to scan the area. There were tubes everywhere, pumping out either two fluids. One was blue the other was purple; both appeared to be destructive if touched.

Shadow's speed eventually decreased to a walk, as he found himself interest in what was going on around him.

"This..." the Black Wind said as he got close to one tube, the one containing the purple fluid, "This was what I drank at that water fountain. Dr. Robotnik is pumping this through the city! He's trying to poison everyone!"

"Shadow, can't you let someone else deal with this?" the bat had the audacity to ask, making Shadow glare at her, "Dr. Robotnik... Dr. Robotnik..." she took a deep breath, "You killed Dr. Robotnik. You're letting all of this go to your head!"

"Didn't you hear that voice!?" Shadow shouted back, "That was his voice! You've never heard it; you wouldn't understand..."

"Shadow... we are here for Hidden Palace Zone... well... at least I am..." she shook her head, "Your war with Dr. Robotnik doesn't concern me in the slightest..."

Shadow's eyes glared at her. For some reason, he didn't like what he said. For some reason, it kinda hurt him a bit. But Maybe Rouge was right; he was getting off topic. He could do far more damage to Dr. Robotnik by finding the seventh Chaos Emerald first, than he could do the the doctor by destroying his robots and his bases. But he couldn't allow injustices like this to go on.

Despite his dark and demonic nature, the Black Wind was far righteous than one may suspect.

Rouge watched as his hands balled tightly into fists, showing frustration and clear rage. It made her regret her wording a tiny bit; she didn't want to make it sound like she was abandoning him. But his war with Robotnik was just that; his war. She had never met the doctor, never had a reason to fight him. The dictator of South Island and the owner of Eggman Inc. was far removed from her, and where she lived. She had never even met the guy.

Until now.

POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!

"WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Rouge shouted.

One by one, all around them, the glass tubes holding the weird fluids were destroyed. Glass littered the area, forcing Shadow to defend himself and Rouge to take to the air. The fluids began to mix with one another, growing larger as the wide cube-shaped room was slowly filled with the disgusting and poisonous juices. Shadow attempted to escape the fluids, only to find it quickly gaining grown on his body. Before long it was up to his neck, and he was gasping for air.

"Shadow!" Rouge cried as she swooped down with her hand, grabbing him and pulling him out of the deranged substance.

He shook his head and wiggled his fur, getting as much of that substance off of him as he could. Rouge eventually took them to a higher tube-line, one that wasn't destroyed by like the rest. There they were safe, though the fluids below was quickly gaining grown.

"Now what!?" Rouge shouted, "This room is too big for me to fly to the top with you with me, and I don't see an opening in sight!"

"Errrr..." Shadow growled, he too looking around desperately for an exit, "Fine then, dammit. Get close, Rouge, I'll get us out with Chaos Control!"

He quickly withdrew his green Chaos Emerald, focusing on his power to bring them to safety.

He was getting closer...

He could see an area on the other side, an area of grass and ruins.

It was flying high above, getting closer to them...

There was something in that area, something calling out to him in those ruins.

"Uh, Shadow!?"

"Huh!?"

He looked up, just in time to dodge. The tube they stood on was swamped with more of that blue and purple fluids, making it dangerous and slippery. Shadow skidded back and stared down upon it, before looking up. He saw the underbelly of a silver machine, hovering high into the sky. Ruby eyes squinted to get a better look at it, while the machine descended to be only a few feet above of them, instead of a few yards.

"Shadow the hedgehog..." his insidious voice rang out, "It has been quite a while, has it not? For a moment there, I thought you had forgotten about me!"

Shadow's ruby eyes grew small, while rouge slid down her scouter on her eye. Floating before them, in a pristine clear bubble, was a man. A portly fellow, in a brown suit, white undershirt, and red tie. Heavy glasses sat on his face, covering his blue eyes. His mustache, long and well trimmed; he stroked it accordingly. And on his lips, this massive smile.

"Oh my... Chaos..." Rouge whispered as she stared up to him, "Dr. Robotnik."

"Indeed," the man answered with a smile, "And this, is the Egg Mobile-W. Capable of holding over 1000 gallons of water within its take, it is also capable of high-speed transport, allowing one to transfer a large quantity of water from one area to another in only a matter of seconds. It could possibly prove well when helping fire fighters, don't you think? Though, it has a different use..." he stared down, his face suddenly becoming demented as opposed to his well behaved face from before, "Don't you like it, Shadow? My Megamalatricarboshadowchloride – or Mega Muck as my secretary calls it – was designed with you mobians in mind. It's capable of drowning you out in seconds; it sucks all the air out of your lungs and body faster than any natural liquid could ever before. You've already had a taste of it before, have you not, Shadow?"

"Doctor..." he instead whispered, before growling feral-like at her, "DOCTOR!"

"I figured you'd react like this," the dictator said, before laughing, "I enjoy it! You little rat! I'll drown you and your bat friend here!"

He suddenly flew back, a tube shooting out from the bottom of the Egg Mobile-W, sticking into the fluids of Mega Muck below. It drank up the fluid, showing the tank on the back of the Egg Mobile-W to be steadily filled. Shadow was still growling, before he posed in a way to show he was battle ready. Rouge herself pushed her scouter out of the way, as she got ready for a fight as well.

The Egg Mobile-W was finally filled, the tank on the back now flashing a vibrant purple-pink color. The tube receded into the machine, while another but slid from the front. It aimed at the hedgehog and bat, and suddenly fired. A powerful stream of Mega Muck was sent there way, one Shadow and Rouge dodged with ease. The hedgehog merely jumped away, while the bat flew up high. Shadow's shoes ignited, keeping him from falling inside the Mega Muck if only momentarily. Robotnik kept his eyes trained on the both of them, hovering back to put more distance. He once again stuck his tube into the Mega Muck to get more, but Shadow wouldn't allow it.

In a flash, the black and red hedgehog struck the doctor's clear dome, triggering a shock that threw him back. The Doctor bit his lip, but didn't show frustration. He instead began to tap on his arm rest, causing a series of clicks to echo within the Egg Mobile. The thrusters on the backside suddenly flared, pushing him forward in a sudden speed boost. He struck Shadow, sending him flying into the Mega Muck below. He was once more rescued by Rouge, who flew him back up and onto a pipe. Eggman spun around around and face the two, now showing annoyance.

All of his plans so far were for one person, one. And that person was Shadow the hedgehog. Everything he had set out, from the Coconuts unit, to the Egg Mobile-D, and even the Mega Muck, was created specifically to kill Shadow! But Rouge's appearance ruined all of that. Maybe it was his own hubris; he didn't think the bat would be that much of a threat. However, her usefulness for Shadow was far greater than he anticipated.

"Rouge..." he whispered as they landed on another pipeline, "You saved me..."

"Not now, Shadow!" Rouge shouted as she pointed at the Egg Mobile-W, watching as it got closer, "He's attacking again!"

Robotnik fired another stream of Mega Muck at them, one powerful enough to surely suck all the air out of their body. Shadow glared at the action, before standing in front of Rouge. He balled his hands into fists and closed his eyes. The moment of intense focus caused him to distort the dimensions around his body, enveloping him and his partner in a multicolored shield of darkness. The defensive maneuvers he employed protected them from Robotnik's attack, until it was over.

The dictator pulled back, thoroughly surprised by Shadow's tactic. The hedgehog had never used such an attack before; it was enthralling! His moment of scientific wonderment was short-lived however, as the orb died away. Shadow rubbed his wrists after performing such an attack, his own breath hiking a bit. It was clear the move took quite a strain on him to perform, and it was all to deflect simple water. Killer water, but water nonetheless.

"Shadow..." Rouge said as she placed her hands on his shoulder, "How'd you...?"

"I used the Chaos Emerald as a conduit..." he answered as he briefly looked at her, "Now, if you don't mind..."

He suddenly pushed Rouge aside, dodging a sudden rush from Egg Mobile-W. The doctor suddenly turned around after missing, another tube shooting form his machine and into the Mega Muck bellow. Shadow watched as he did so, his hand on his chest to help his breathing. His ruby eyes stared down to the Mega Muck, and then back up to doctor, over and over again. His fingertips started to cackle with yellow electricity once more, and he stood up a bit. Withdrawing his Chaos Emerald, he began to cause green energy to also surge through his body. He stared harder and harder, before pulling back his arm. All that energy he had built up suddenly took the form of a multicolored energy ball within his hand.

"Chaos..." he said as Dr. Robotnik prepared to fire another stream of Mega Muck at him, "BALL!"

He fired the blast directly at Robotnik, but before it could hit him, the sphere of energy suddenly went straight down into the Mega Muck bellow. Rouge merely looked at Shadow, confused by the tactic, while Dr. Robotnik rose an eyebrow.

"Really?" the dictator said in a mocking tone, "Was that your coup de grace? I'm disappointment Shadow; you were so tenacious when we first fought. But, alas, I guess even the mighty fall."

"And you still talk to much," the Black Wind countered with a cocky smirk, before rising two fingers up to the air, "NOW EXPAND!"

Suddenly a burning light appeared in a circular fashion around Robotnik. He glared down to the Mega Muck bellow, noticing it had started to bubble in an extreme fashion. The doctor's eyes grew wide with shock, for he had realized the true motive of Shadow's move.

"Oh shiiiiiiiitt!?" he shouted as he was suddenly coated in his own Megamalatricarboshadowchloride.

The detonation of Shadow's attack flew high and in the shape of a pillar, before finally falling. When it did so, the force of the explosion had done considerable damage to the Egg Mobile-W. It was crumbling in certain areas of the outer shell, while the container system was completely ruined. The well-dressed dictator within stared around to his machine in shock, as pieces of it began to fall.

"N-no!" he shouted, as the attachments of the Egg Mobile-W could no longer hold, and fell apart right around him. He was thus left in the normal Egg Mobile, with nothing to protect him save for it's own speed, "Damn you Shadow the hedgehog!"

Shadow laughed, but suddenly fell over on his hand. That one attack forced him to use up far more energy than he would've liked too. At least he had won; that's all that mattered here.

"I'll get you for this! Be sure of that!" Robotnik shouted as he turned around, making a hasty (and humiliated) escape.

"Ugh..." Shadow mumbled, pleased with another – if not short-lived – victory.

Rouge however stood some ways away. Shadow the hedgehog; quite the tenacious fellow indeed. How he performed such a technique before her very eyes would always be a mystery to her.

…

He was annoyed. Angry. Frustrated even. But he wasn't surprised. He had learned that even the best laid plans can blow up in his face. They had done so before on South Island, so it was expected that they would happen once again, on West Side Island. Dr. Robotnik, upon realizing this, gave a hard sigh.

Yes, we all fall, but it's getting up that really matters. And he knew nothing about staying down.

A blue light suddenly opened up in his cockpit, making the CEO of Eggman Incorporated stare down. In a small blue hologram on his dashboard, there was a woman in business formal. She gave a polite and courteous bow to him, before staring back up.

"Dr. Robotnik," she said with smile, "I hope that your trip was an enlightening experience."

"It could have gone better," the doctor replied, "But that doesn't matter here. What do you have to tell me, Maria?"

"Scanners have shown the location of another Chaos Emerald. Your predictions were correct doctor; the other Chaos Emeralds have relocated to West Side Island as stated," she smiled some more, "The next Chaos Emerald's location is revealed. It's in the Aquatic Ruins Zone."

Chemical Plant Zone complete.

Next stop, Aquatic Ruins Zone.


	4. Aquatic Desolation Zone

Aquatic Desolation Zone

THOOP! He loved that noise.

It was a giant machine, far greater than the both of them in size and in diameter. When the yellow button up top was pressed, steam suddenly shout out of the machine's lines. Two holes in the front were even popped open, giving it the resemblance of a pot reaching its boiling point. But just as soon as that steam appeared, it died out. Seriously, it could only have gone on for a minute at max.

The giant egg-shaped capsule slowly started to open. Dark lines appeared first, before the eyes of those inside were visible. They could see the night light gazing back, and a hand reaching inside to touch them.

"Hey there!" rang the voice of a certain sultry bat, "Don't worry, I won't bite... much!"

Her teasing gesture made light of a horrible situation. Maybe she was a sociopath beneath all of that fur and diamond eyes. Whatever the case may be, her statement was enough to bring a smile to at least one of the prisoners inside. And there were many. The bat was stunned as she stepped back, watching as more and more individuals walked out of the capsule. There were so many packed into such a tight container, it was mortifying.

They all came out into the cool night air, many mobians of varying species, all of them with their eyes on the sky. It was their first sight of light in Chaos knows how long. And they appeared to be so grateful. Some even dropped to their knees to praise whatever god they were praying to within the capsule. It was kinda awkward, especially when some began to thank the bat. While she was one to enjoy being praised by others, she couldn't necessary take credit for this. If things had gone her way, they'd be halfway to Hidden Palace Zone by now.

She stepped back, revealing who truly saved them. The black and red hedgehog with his arm crossed, and his face in a seemingly permanent scowl. Their eyes all seemed to glow in unison at the sight of him, standing there all calm, cool, and collected. Or maybe they were simply amazed that he was standing before them. The one hero all mobians shared.

The Black Wind.

…

"So what are those things?" the bat asked as they stood on the city's outskirts, the wind blow through their fur.

"Animal Capsules..." the hedgehog answered, his eyes closing as he shifted into deep thought.

"What are they used for?" Rouge asked, prodding deeper into her ally.

"Dr. Robotnik uses them for transport..." Shadow answered, eyes opening as he gave a hard glare, "He gathers up mobians and small animals inside of them, and then transports them to his bases... there they undergo a process known as roboticization..." he growled now, his arms uncrossing so his hands could make fists, "It's a horrible process, downright inhuman! He sometimes keeps them trapped for days!" growling now, "I cannot understand how he acts in such a callous way! I can't understand how any living creature can do to them what he can!"

"Shadow!" Rouge called, "Calm down... you're turning red..."

His eyes grew wide at her statement, before he looked down to his arms. A red aura was flowing from his body; a perfect mood ring for his entire being. He took in a deep breath, calming his nerves as he settled down. Before long, his own rage was quelled, and the power he exhibited died out.

"Better?" she asked.

"Better..." he answered, "Where's the next zone, Rouge? Do you know?"

"Whatever the next Zone is, I don't care," the bat said as she threw her arms up, "Shadow, haven't you noticed that we've just gone through two zones without any rest in between? Both Emerald Hill and Chemical Plant Zone or whatever just took all the energy I've had! And you know what? I'm tired, and I'm going to sleep!" she sat down and crossed her arms, showing her defiance, "Besides, you think I stay this beautiful thanks to willpower? I work to keep all of this!"

"Okay, okay! I get it!" he replied, "We'll sleep here for the night..." he yawned soon after, "I'll admit... I too am... tired..."

As the two laid back, their eyes shifted to the stars. If there was one thing great about these adventures, it was truly the sights. When they didn't have to pay attention to destruction or bullets or Badniks trying to kill, they could just look at the scenery presented to them by life. And quite the sights they'd see.

"Shadow..." Rouge whispered, "What do you see when you stare out to the stars like this...?"

Her answer?

"Maria..."

Her teal eyes moved down to her friend, confused by his answer. To her surprise however, she saw her friend was resting peacefully on the hill. He was clearly more tired than she was. It made sense; he had taken quite a good few hits over the past two zones. Still, that name lingered in Rouge's head as she laid on the grass as well.

"Ma-ri-a... Maria..."

…

"So Shadow, just who are you?" the bat asked of her friend.

Instead of running around at the speed of sound like usual, the two were taking their time. This area was far different from Emerald Hill and Chemical Plant, being instead calm and natural. Yeah, natural. He enjoyed areas like this; so pristine and untouched by outside forces. Old ruins, thousands of years old, depicted times and ages long since passed. Water was gushing out of the grass they walked upon, and pour out of the stones they trekked beside.

"You already know who I am..." Shadow said with arms crossed, annoyed by the question his friend proposed to him, "I'm Shadow the hedgehog. Son of Jules the hedgehog and Bernadette the hedgehog..."

"Uh-huh, yeah, I know that much," the bat said, "I want to know who this 'Maria' girl is... I mean, you have her name written on your plane, and even last night you said that in your sleep..." she then rose one eyebrow, "It is a girl's name, right?"

"Not now..." he said, a slight growl of annoyance added with it.

"Is it ever now?" Rouge asked, her hands on her hips, "We're in ruins right now, Shadow. Call me a bit taken by the scenery, but I'd love to learn a tad bit more about my ally. Who is he? Why can he warp time and space? Why is his name 'Shadow' of all things... your parents must really like puns..."

He rolled his eyes at her statement, crossing his arms once more as they stepped onto a ledge stretching over a river laden valley. Ruby eyes combed over endless fields, all of them filled with rock and ruins aging far beyond the all of them. Shadow's hand reached away, pulling out the Chaos Emerald he held within. It flashed its brilliant green color, while his eyes closed shut.

"I can feel it..." he whispered, focusing on what the stone in his hand told him, "It's here..."

"What's here?" Rouge inquired.

"A Chaos Emerald..." he answered.

Shadow placed the stone away once again, his head nodding as he felt his mission was understood. Before Rouge could ask him yet another question, he leaped down into the ruinous area before, his air shoes igniting with flames. The bat bit her lip in annoyance, before her wings began flapping. Taking off to the wind, she followed close behind.

…

"What a piece of junk!" the doctor shouted.

It was rare to find him out on the fields like this, being with his Badniks on foot. But this was very important; the dictator had a big stake in all of this. If what his scanners told were true – and he was sure they were true – then then the Chaos Emerald was here. He wasn't surprise; of course at least one would relocate to a place so extremely old.

Dr. Robotnik gazed down the massive pit before him, as a plethora of Badniks used drills to grind into buildings and walls. He had many Badniks – the type known as Grounders – drilling away to locate the Chaos Emerald as best they could. The doctor hovered above all of them in his Egg Mobile, stroking his mustache as he did so. His blue eyes peered down hard upon them, before a blue light began beeping on his dashboard.

"Dr. Robotnik," a woman's voice rang, making him look down, "Good morning. I am surprised to see you did not return to Eggman Inc., but I assume you had better things to do..."

"Indeed Maria," Robotnik said as he hovered around in circles around the area, "Your information on the Chaos Emerald led me here... thank you for the coffee you placed in my Egg Mobile; it made the night that much more bearable."

"I know your favorite," the hologram of the woman said, giving a slight giggle, "Dr. Robotnik... scanners have picked up others in the area. They aren't lesser animals... also, the Animal Capsule in Chemical Plant Zone was opened."

"As suspected..." the dictator replied, still stroking his mustache as expected. "Grounders! Whisps! Chop-Chop! We have uninvited guests! Tend to them, and make their stay most unpleasant! Charge!"

The many Badniks before him all looked up, before rushing to obey his command. The doctor floated back slowly, grinning madly. His foes were here; entering certain doom. They had no idea these sacred woods were changed, thanks to him. Even history has been transformed thanks to the incredibly evil genius that is Dr. Ivo Robotnik!

Shadow and Rouge have entered Aquatic Ruin Zone.

…

"I just love ruins!" Rouge said as she pranced about in the center of the area, ignoring her ever so stuck-up ally, "If it wasn't for our main mission, I just might be here looking for buried treasures!"

"What we looking for is a buried treasure..." Shadow said lowly, glaring over a column that sat in the plateau, "In fact, what we're looking for is the greatest treasure in the land..." his eyes peered beyond more ruins, "I can feel it... it's so close..."

He placed his fingers on a column that sat before him, closing his eyes as he focused. He knew it was here, somewhere, only deeper than where he sat currently. Suddenly he smelled the fragrance of something odd. His ears twitched, hearing a click. A mechanism was sliding into place, loading something, somewhere. No, somewhere near! Somewhere right behind him!

"Ah!?"

PLINK!

He stepped to the right, just in time, dodging an arrow aimed right at his head. It was now embedded into a column before him, showing enough force to break into rock-solid stone. Aged stone, but powerful stone nonetheless. He turned around, noticing another pair of columns behind him, one of which held a silver band on it. This silver band had the certain insignia of a certain egg-themed villain.

"Son of a gun..." Shadow growled, before noticing more of the insignia on more columns all around them. And they too must have noticed them, for the eyes of these symbols were glowing a burning red color, "Son of a gun!"

PLINK! PLINK! PLINK! PLINK!

He moved left and right, dodging expertly aimed arrows with precise movements. He'd move a hand, barely dodging one arrow, lifting a foot, only for the ground beneath him to be pierced. Behind, Rouge was battling the same issues. She wasn't as fast on her feet as Shadow when it came to certain things, but dodging attacks like this was well on her caliber. She dodged many arrows and kept her wings close to them; less they too be pierced by what attempted to strike them.

"Shadow!" the bat shouted, "What is going on!?"

"It's clearly a trap! Dammit!" the hedgehog growled, still continuing his slithering antics, "Dr. Robotnik even defiles ruins! I can't take it anymore!" he suddenly leaped back to Rouge as his hand cackled with chaos energy, "Chaos Spear!"

From his open palm, he fired out multiple yellow blasts which struck the columns before him. He destroyed column after column, also ending the machinations placed inside thanks to the doctor. They broke apart before him, falling down into pieces right before his very toes. His arm fell after victory had been achieved, only for another problem to present itself.

ERRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHH!

"Ugh... what now...?" the hedgehog grunted, the earth rumbling beneath their feet.

Suddenly the ground broke right beneath his feet. A silver-white column shot out right before him, nearly striking the hedgehog in the chin. Dodging that was pure luck; no skill as involved because he didn't even know it was coming.

Suddenly more pillars shot up all around them, nearly striking the hedgehog and bat and forcing them to move. Shadow started skating forward immediately with Rouge at his back, dodging the pillars that shot up and constricted their view. One such pillar blinding Shadow's sights entirely, for when he dodged it, he found a cliff on the other side. He tried to stop, but that wasn't going to happen. He wheeled his arms around as well, but that didn't work either.

"Damn! Not here!" he shouted, before falling over.

SPLASH!

Was it wrong that the first thing he thought when he touched water was 'Mega Muck'? When he opened his eyes, he was so happy to see regular water around him instead of that pink-purple gunk. He quickly realigned himself, landing on the grassy-ruins that lay beneath. His eyes looked up shortly after, staring into the glades of light brought in thanks to the sun.

It was beautiful.

He looked down shortly after, watching as a certain white-furred bat swam up to him. Rouge's teal eyes glowed in the darkness; quite possibly because she was a bat. She smiled and giggled a bit as she made way to him, and even swam circles around him a few times.

Poor Shadow. Despite all the strength in the world, he simply couldn't swim.

Rouge's hand grabbed his hand, only to slide down to his shoulders then under his arms. Using impressive strength, she was able to pull Shadow up toward the water's surface. Shadow watched it come closer and closer, before bubbles suddenly swarmed him. He looked up to Rouge, noticing she was attempting to scream beneath the water. It wasn't on purpose; something was attacking them.

He looked down, noticing many blue fish-like robots biting at them. Rouge eventually released the hedgehog and he fell, while the school of Badnik fish dispersed. Some chased after Rouge, the others went after Shadow. He kicked his feet up, causing fire to burst out, pushing him down toward the lake's bottom.

"Errrgh!" he wanted to open his mouth, but he knew doing such a thing would only cause him to drown.

Shadow stared up to the Badniks – Chop-Chops – that headed his way. He knew using Chaos Spear was dumb; it would only result in him electrocuting himself. So he had to fight a school of aquatic Badniks by himself. His speed was severely restrained, and his options were incredibly low. All odds were stacked against him.

Good thing he always knew to bet on black.

The school of fish swam to him, and in response Shadow punched at them fruitlessly. However, his fists started to grind the very fabric of dimensions within, causing a multicolored orb to form around his hands. The clenching action caused a minor aquatic explosion, destroying some of the Badniks facing them. More Badniks swam around to his side, making him punch at them a well. Another orb of distorted time and space, destroying them as well. Another school of Badniks, just to his left. Shadow attempted to strike them, only to feel a powerful pain on his shoulder.

"AUGH!?"

As soon as he did so, bubbles flew out of his mouth. A Badnik he missed had gotten to his shoulder, clamping down hard with bladed teeth. He struck it, freeing his arm of its mouth, but presenting another problem. He opened his mouth; he lost his air. His eyes were starting to strain already, while he attempted to keep water from flooding his lungs. If he didn't move now, he'd either drown, or be torn to shreds by the mouth of the Chop-Chops swimming around him.

They started biting down on him, locking him to the ground. He kept fighting back, feeling the pain of their teeth, and the burning pain in their lungs. He was starting to surge with burning red power, strength rising high. He was getting angry and was about to go boom. Quite litterally.

Until.

CHOMP!

…

"Shadow... wake up... Shadow... wake up... Shadow! Wake up!"

Ruby eyes snapped open. His nose was twitching, smelling the sweat fragrance of the summer air. He closed his eyes and blinked a few times, trying to fight back this nagging pain in the back of his head. It made him cough, then growl, then straighten up, as another order was given to him.

"Who are you growling at!"

He quickly snapped, as if someone had tugged on strings attached to his body. He now had full attention on the Mobian before him; she was a beautiful thing. A woman, blue fur, blue eyes, quills pointing down, and with a blonde turf of hair on her head. She wore a purple dress, a motherly one, and had her fists holding her down.

She appeared to be angry, something the black hedgehog didn't want to see. He stood up then, staring at the woman deep in her eyes. He was taller than her, but he wasn't older. She was older than him, as it would seem.

"Shadow the hedgehog..." she said, breathing in deeply.

"Mom..." he answered, swallowing her spit.

She continued glaring at him, craning her neck so she could look him up and down. And then, as if in the blink of an eye, her face grew soft. She smiled at him, teeth bare in full, face beaming like the sun. Her hand reached out to pat him on the head, bringing a rarely seen smile to his lips. She ruffled the fur on his head before stepping back, body facing in another direction.

"Alright Shadow, dear," she said, "I think you've lazed about far enough today. Come on inside; we don't want you vanishing like other children, now do we?"

He followed just as she said, trailing behind the blue hedgehog as she made way for the small home sitting outside the forest. The blue hedgehog before him pushed inside, yawning as she entered.

"I found him, Jules," she said, "The scatterbrain was sleeping outside like usual..." she turned and faced him, smiling as she did so, "Tell me, dream any more dreams about that 'Maria' girl? Huh? Something you wanna tell momma about?"

"Leave the boy alone, Bernadette... if Shadow wants to tell us something, he'll tell us..."

She looked over into the dining room, her eyes falling upon the man standing there. Blue fur, brown hair, green eyes. He had a somewhat serious disposition as he stood there with arms crossed, cocking his head at the two. But then this smile appeared, killing the serious air in all but a few seconds. It appeared as if he were only copying an action his son performed so many times.

"C'mon Shadow," he said as he turned into the kitchen, "Your mom was cooking up some of that lovely food of hers. Can't wait to get some myself!"

He walked into the kitchen with his wife, leaving Shadow behind. The black and red hedgehog looked around the home briefly, before stepping inside the kitchen as well. His mother was cooking, preparing food which sent a lovely fragrance through the air. At the same time, his father sat at the table, gazing at the TV sitting a few feet away. A news program was playing, talking about something called 'Eggman Incorporated'. As Shadow sat down, he could tell his father absolutely detested it.

"Where's the remote..." he growled, searching for it in vain, "I've gotta turn this crap quickly..."

"What has you so angsty?" his wife asked, giving a slight jab as she did so.

"This... Eggman... or Robotnik fellow..." he growled, shifting his attention away from the TV and to his wife, "He has this piece of crap thing called... Roboticization or something..." he leaned back in his chair, "Says it'll help us Mobians who are less fortunate... makes us into... robots..."

Makes us into robots...

Says it'll help us Mobians...

Called Roboticization...

Sayanora... Shadow the hedgehog...

"URGH!?" the Black Wind suddenly grunted, feeling pain as he clenched his chest.

"Shadow!?" his mother cried, "What's going on!?"

"Shadow!? My boy!" his father shouted, "What's wrong!? What's wrong!?"

…

"SHADOW!" the bat yelled, "SHADOW!"

She was frantic now. The bubbles she saw had stopped rising now. She should have dove back inside now, but those Badniks were swarming all around the water's surface. Diving in would be an invitation to death. But the black and red hedgehog couldn't be gone; he still had to be there.

"SHADOW! SHAD-ugh!?" her cries were cut short, as a red light appeared at the bottom of the lake.

It's glow grew and grew, as the entire area began to rumble. The Badniks on the lakes surface turned around, they too now looking at the lake's bottom. She suddenly heard a cry echo out.

"CHAOS BLAST!"

KA-THOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

All the water in the area was tossed sky high, as an amazing red explosion ripped into the sky. Rouge was tossed back by the force of the explosion, stopping only a few feet back. She stared at where the lake once stood, watching as a hand landed on the edge of stone jutting over the lake. A black and red hedgehog pulled himself up, breathing hard as a red aura on his body steadily died out. He looked at the bat before him, biting his lips as he stymied a groan.

"See what I mean?" he said, "I'll tell you what my dad said to me; always bet on black..."

And then, as if he wasn't just drowning at the bottom of a lake, Shadow walked passed Rouge like there was no issues going on. The bat looked at him, then to the lake, and then up to the large body of water currently falling from the skies.

"AGH!?"

…

His eyes behind the glasses flared as the reflected light. However, it wasn't the bright light of the sun that shined in his eyes. No, instead it was an amazing red light that appeared deeper in the ruins. The doctor swallowed his spit at the sight, stunned to see such a thing. Gazing down, his Egg Mobile's Chaos scanner was going off the charts. When the red blast had dispersed into the air, the scanners lowered, but were still at a higher than regular level.

"Shadow is capable of more power than originally believed..." Dr. Robotnik said, "I... I never thought he could do such a thing... how powerful is he?"

"Dr. Robotnik," a woman's voice called.

He gazed down, just in time to see a blue light take the form of a woman on his dashboard. The hologram of a woman gave a polite and courteous bow, before standing up tall once more.

"Maria," he said, "I assume you have good news?"

"As always, Dr. Robotnik," she stated, "I have taken the need to send you the Egg Mobile-T attachments. I pray you do away with our opponents with minimal strain and minimal effort."

The doctor gazed skyward, just as a shadow loomed over head. Attached to helicopter rotor blades, a container holding an unknown object was lowered into the area. The doors opened as the CEO of Eggman Inc. neared it. And when he saw what sat on the inside, he smiled devilishly.

"Yes, yes, Maria!" he stated, "You are too good for me!"

"Oh Dr. Robotnik, you flatter me so!"

Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1.

…

It didn't take long for them to plow through the zone, darting through dilapidated pillars and over stone constructs. Shadow quickly skidded to a halt however at the sound of drills meeting earth and brick. He glared over a cliff side, staring down into a pit filled with Badniks. Bronze machines with drills for hands, noses, and even feet; all of them plowing into the wall and severing ages upon ages of stone apart from one another.

"Look at this..." Shadow said, shaking his head in disgust, "What monster would do this?"

"You're telling me?" Rouge said as she walked up beside him, "Anything important down there is probably long since lost thanks to all that construction..." she shook her head, "Remember what I said about treasure hunting here earlier? Ignore that. There will be no point to it anymore..."

Shadow withdrew his green Chaos Emerald, once more focusing on the powers it handed in. Eyes closed shut, he combed through the area in a somewhat 'out-of-body' experience. He could feel another stone of great power, calling out to him. When he finally could pinpoint it's location, he pulled back.

"There on to something..." he said as he put away his Chaos Emerald, "Somewhere deep inside, here... there's another Chaos Emerald, I can feel it!"

"Lovely that you'd explain the already known, Shadow the hedgehog!"

Flares of fire suddenly erupted behind the two, catching both mobians off guard. The force of the flames threw them into the pit carved out by the Grounder Badniks. They landed on their feet, only to stare around.

"Tsk... surrounded..." Shadow said as he lifted his fists.

"Is it ever calm with you, Shadow?" Rouge said as she got to his back.

The being responsible for pushing them down there finally revealed himself. Hovering down to be in the same level with thrusters ignited in a new Egg Mobile model, was Dr. Robotnik himself. He smiled greatly, his fingers brushing along his brilliant mustache as he leaned back.

The Egg Mobile-T. Created with construction in hand, it owned a great mallet at the very tip, one with a ball and joint socket. This would allow it to slam upon objects to flatten them out straight. And, hey, it made for a good mobian pancake maker as well. Capable of slamming tons of steel in place with one pound, it's also capable of reaching any height with the engines keeping it afloat. And smell that wonderful smog it lets out! Enticing!

"Robotnik! You'll pay for what you did the ruins!" Shadow shouted, fists shaking.

"You can feel it, can't you?" Robotnik stated, eyes sliding into a glare as he ignored his opponents statement, "The Chaos Emerald, no? One is here, calling out! And it's mine!" he finally flew back as he readied his hammer, "Grounders! Destroy them!"

Their drills began twirling, as one by one, the Badniks rushed for Shadow and Rouge. Shadow immediately destroyed one with a Chaos Spear thrown, tearing a hole through it's chest. At the same time, Rouge flew up high, landing on a Badnik with a press so hard, it exploded into pieces. She then performed the same stomp on many more Badniks, while Shadow fired more Chaos Spears to destroy others. The area was quickly becoming littered with the harsh shells of machines, as Shadow destroyed them one by one.

Until a shadow loomed over Shadow. His ruby eyes grew wide as he looked up, looking at the business end of Robotnik's mighty hammer.

THOOOOM!

Shadow leaped out of the way just in time, dodging a strike from the Egg Mobile-T's hammer. The earth quaked from the slam, creating a crack large enough to swallow Shadow hole. He looked back up to the doctor who was laughing maniacally, watching as he readied another attack with his hammer. Shadow skated back as he charged another Chaos Spear, before lobbing at the dictator with all his might.

And like the Egg Mobile-D before, the strike was deflected. Shadow was actually quite stunned by it.

"The 'I' of now learned of your powers through our battles in the past, Shadow!" Robotnik said, making the hedgehog growl, "What may have worked years ago, no longer does!"

"How about this!?" he then heard.

He looked to the right, just as a powerful steel-toed boot slammed against the glass of the Egg Mobile-T. The blow was strong, far stronger than what the Eggman thought it would be. Rouge continued to kick as well, delivering a thunderous amount of kicks in a relatively short amount of time.

"Stop that, you fool!" the dictator roared, "You've done enough!"

"Huh?"

THWAK!

The Egg Mobile-T swung around with so much force, the side of the hammer struck Rouge in the face. She was rendered near unconscious by the blow, and fell far to the earth. Before slamming into it however, Shadow leaped out and grabbed her, rolling to the earth with the bat in his arms.

"Ugh... my head..." the bat groaned in pain as Shadow sat her down.

"You'll pay for that, Robotnik..." Shadow stated, glaring at him with red eyes flaring, "I'll make sure of that..."

"We'll see! Rise the totems!"

The earth began shaking, making Shadow gaze all around. One by one, pillars from the earth began to slowly rise. All of them held these strange bird-like faces on them, with open beaks. Shadow paid attention to them, before looking back up to the doctor before him.

"I believe this is the point in time where you start begging for your life!" the dictator stated as his hammer slammed into the ground, making the eyes of the totem poles bulge.

One by one, arrows were fired out of the mouths of the totem poles. Shadow stared at them, as he quickly began to fire yellow bolts of energy toward the arrows. He destroyed them with precise aim, but the action left him weakened and strained.

"Keep it up, Shadow," Dr. Robotnik growled, "Soon you'll tire out, then I'll kill you!"

He slammed his hammer down again, firing out another spray of arrows their way. Shadow – realizing this would only end with his death – quickly picked up Rouge and leaped up high. However an arrow caught him right in the leg, misdirecting his leap. Shadow fell on the ground, bouncing from the impact. He and Rouge were in both a predicament now, especially with his leg currently in pain.

"Uh... Shadow..." Rouge said as she struggled to stand.

"It is customary for those who lay before me to beg for his or her life," Robotnik stated as he got closer, "Have you learned your foolishness yet, Shadow?"

Rouge and Shadow looked up together, as the hammer of the Egg Mobile-T loomed overhead. It rose up high, prepared to drop and kill them easily. Shadow's fist clenched tightly, as the hammer fell. With his remaining strength, he pushed Rouge away.

BAM!

"SHADOW!" Rouge cried.

Darkness. That's all he saw. Darkness. The force of the hammer was so strong, it embedded him into the earth. But he wasn't dead. He felt an incredible pain rumble through his entire body. Shadow's ruby eyes opened up, staring through the darkness of the crevice created by his body. And he saw it. He saw it gazing back.

The red Chaos Emerald.

"Good bye, Shadow the hedgehog..." he heard Robotnik roar, while his hand reached for the stone, "Your loyalty to your friends was your undoing!"

He could hear the hammer raise up for another slam, just as his hand met the red stone. He could feel the power of the stone resonate throughout his body, empowering him. Two Chaos Emeralds? He felt unstoppable with one! But two!? Those Chaos Powers he felt were dormant within his body, now felt unleashed.

And unleashed they were.

"CHAOS BLAST!"

"What!? N-no! This is impossible!"

SWWRRRR! KA-BOOOOOOOM!

The entire ground erupted, as another red beam flew sky high. The Grounders in the pit were destroyed with ease, while Dr. Robotnik was covered by Shadow's attack. Rouge stared up and down, teal eyes wide. For the second time this day, Shadow had exhibited powers she never witness before.

He slowly arose from the pit, before landing on the other side. In his hand, the red Chaos Emerald.

"That's more like it..." he said with a smirk, his wounds gone as if never being there, "Ultimate... power..."

…

Well that could have gone better. The Egg Mobile-T was destroyed. Such a shame too; it came so close to destroying the hedgehog. His plans – while brilliant and full-proof – were dashed by pure and dumb luck. Dr. Robotnik couldn't believe that, as he hovered away in defeat. He might have been destroyed by Shadow's attack, had he not detached the Egg Mobile-T armor to escape in time.

He hovered through the air as fast as he could, making way back to his main base. These fights out in the public were truly getting on his nerves; that's why he made robots. They fight Shadow, he sits on the sidelines and laughs madly. That's how these things work.

"Dr. Robotnik," the woman's voice called, her blue hologram appearing as well, "Great to see you again."

"Maria," Robotnik said, "Not now..."

"I see, so the collection of the Chaos Emerald has failed?" she inquired, before shaking her head, "Such a shame... however..." another smile, "You would be glad to know that the roboticization of Casino Nights Zone has been completed!"

"Well now?" Robotnik said with a smile, "That is lovely to hear! I shall be returning soon. Prepare my dinner!"

"Shall do, Dr. Robotnik."

Aquatic Ruins Zone completed.

Next zone, Casino Nights Zone.


	5. Casino Dusk Zone

Casino Dusk Zone

Roboticization; it's exactly what it says on the tin. The process in which a living breathing creature is transformed into a cold, lifeless, machine. Many called him a madman when he first came up with it; they thought it was impossible. Impossible to transform something into something else entirely.

But he defied them. He already proved them wrong with his life-energy system, which used small animals to power great robots, so it was time to prove them wrong with his newest invention. The Roboticizer would transform creatures into machines, giving the new robot a likeness of their original form, but with all the benefits of being cybernetic.

And when he did so, when he transformed a Mobian into a Badnik, he knew he had performed a great breakthrough in science. His deceased grandfather, Professor Gerald, would be proud. His newest invention would make those thought to be on death's door, would be given a new chance at life.

It would also give him an amazing army.

Dinner had been most unkind to him, this evening. He felt wholly detached from the meal Maria had so perfectly created for him. And though he ate and devoured each and every morsel (a big guy's gotta eat), he did so with a pit in his chest. A pit that couldn't be filled with food, but instead with the death of a certain black hedgehog, and his white-furred friend.

Doctor Ivo Robotnik, creator and CEO of Eggman Incorporated, leaned back in his massive chair. He turned around to face the window behind him, seeing a city bathed in perpetual night, and endless ran. His city, where everything was created, built together, and manufactured.

It brought in images of his first base, the amazing Scrap Brain Zone. To many, it was a place of horrors. An city where the skies were pitch black thanks to fog and smog, the air was burning hot, and the smell of death, oil, and pollution. All of it was dashed away however, but a black and red hedgehog. All that's left is a zone known as Iron Ruin, where many go to pay respects to lives lost thanks to the insane dictator.

Yeah. Dictator. But that's a story for another day.

Robotnik had a new problem, and it centered around a certain white-furred bat. Rouge the bat, in fact. She had quickly proven herself a mighty annoyance to him, and yet a great necessity for her ally. Many plans which should have killed Shadow – or at least wound him greatly – had instead ended with him running out completely devoid of any lasting injuries. And why? Because his ally was constantly saving him.

It angered Robotnik. But nothing worth getting in life comes by easy. The first time he and Shadow faced, it was one-on-one. His plans, at the time thought impervious, were dashed by the black and red hedgehog. His new plans, also thought to be impervious, were now being ruined thanks to an unforeseen addition that is Rouge.

If he was going to defeat his arch-rival, the dreaded Black Wind, he'd need to do away with his ally first. He'd need to get rid of Rouge the bat.

Shadow and Rouge have entered Casino Night Zone.

…

"YEAH! WHOOO! NOW THIS IS MY KIND OF CITY!"

The bat couldn't help but to throw her arms up to the sky, with the cool night air surrounding her on all sides. The sounds, the lights in the distance, the general air of debauchery; it all very much reminded her of home. And the fact that they came here when the moon was down and the stars were up, it was like she was walking through Nigh Babylon right then and there!

The sultry bat spun around however, facing her friend who trailed behind him. He followed closely behind, unimpressed by the sights around him. As usual, his arms were crossed, his red eyes were burning, and he held a face of pure dissonance. It might as well have been the Chemical Plant Zone he walked through, instead of a place of perpetual fun.

"You really know how to kill a girl's mood, don'tcha Shadow," Rouge said with teal eyes rolling, her nature becoming slightly gloomy like this, "I guess you aren't as much a hit with the ladies as one may think..."

"You mock me too much..." he growled as he walked up to be by her side, still arms crossed as he looked to all the flashing lights around them, "I don't like these kinds of places... their usually filled with idiots... and I hate idiots..." he looked to Rouge as his arms uncrossed, "Besides, I don't see what's the fun behind all of this. You get drunk, you gamble, you lose money, or worse..."

"There's more to it than that, Shadow," Rouge exclaimed, "Cities like this are all about living life! You get to do whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want! And you get to do it as many times as you damn-well please! How can this not be a place you'd love?"

"What a worthless city..." the Black Wind replied, shaking his head the deeper they roamed in.

He stopped as they stood on the edge of the road, gazing forward to a city far greater than it should physically be. It would easily give some of the human made cities a run for their money, and brought images of Spring Yard Zone close to mind. Rouge felt right at home, which Shadow couldn't say he felt. Instead, he heard the sounds of springs and bouncing.

Now he really felt like he was in Spring Yard Zone.

"Let's get a move on..." the black and red hedgehog muttered as he skated forward, forcing Rouge to start running in chase.

"H-hey, Shadow!" she shouted, "Wait for me!"

Shadow quickly leaped over the edge of the road, falling down to the square areas below. As soon as he touched down, he tucked into a ball and rolled. His body hit something, something with threw him back up into the sky. He uncurled, gazed around to his surroundings, then performed the same action again. The black and red hedgehog began bouncing from spring to spring, admitting enjoying the feeling of being tossed up and weightless. He bounced around a good few times, before finally stepping foot upon solid ground again. As he did so, a certain someone collided into his back.

"Ah! Dammit!" Rouge shouted as she laid atop a less than thrilled black hedgehog.

"Rouge..." Shadow said lowly, as usual, "Could you be so kind as to get off my back..."

She did so slowly, working her neck around as if it were on a gear. The Black Wind merely dusted himself off as he stared back to the wondering city of neon lights.

"I don't see the fun in all that," Rouge stated, "Bouncing on springs? Don't mind me; I'd much rather fly over all of this..." she flapped her wings to do just that, taking off to the night skies, "Let's see what we can got to go through this time... hmm..."

She flipped her scouter down on her head, scanning the immediate area. Suddenly, her face flared as she gave a great big smile. Her eyes were wide, and she could no longer hide the giggling she had bubbling within her chest.

"OH! Shadow look!" she shouted, "A casino!"

"Well duh," the black and red hedgehog replied with eyes rolling and arms crossed, "This place is Casino Nig- WHAT THE HECK!?"

He couldn't even finish his sentence before being forcibly pulled into a building directly before them. All of Casino Night Zone was already just that, a giant casino, what was the point of peppering it with smaller casinos all over the place? So people could really gamble and get drunk? Hey, it was there life; Shadow wasn't going to fault them for living it. He was however, going to shake his head in disgust.

However, upon entering the casino, they stared around to see it was devoid of life. Sure, power was still running throughout the place for some reason, but not one single soul occupied one single seat. Rouge appeared to be apathetic to it all; she could care less. Shadow however took note of the silence in the seats. It was just like Chemical Plant Zone before, and the many city of South Island in his last adventure.

Whenever Dr. Robotnik comes to town, entire civilizations simply vanish.

"Rouge, where are you?" Shadow asked, looking for his companion through all of the slot machines and roulette tables.

"Over here, Shadow!" the bat called from deeper within the club.

He walked into an area where there was a large stage, with curtains closed. The black hedgehog strolled calmly passed the many chairs of this in-house theater, eventually coming to the stage's front end. Once he did, the curtains were rolled open, and a most heavenly voice echoed into the air.

Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhh, a woman's voice rang into his ears, making him roll his eyes.

"Rouge..." he grumbled, not intending to deal with her childishness this time.

Tap the rhythm against the floor, "Rouge... not now..." To look for another door, "Rouge... seriously... we're wasting time..." I am slipping... "If you don't stop now..." Into the mystery of the night, "I'll be forced to remove you..."

She then reached out a hand for her friend, making him stare at the gesture with hard eyes. She had stopped singing momentarily, but retained this smile on her lips. This 'Ha ha, I got you' smile. Shadow, naturally, wished to turn down the gesture. But instead his hand reached up and grabbed hers. There was just something about Rouge that seemed to hold a power over him. Hell, this entire adventure was because she simply wanted to search for a pipe-dream. He could abide by her game for a little while longer.

Rouge pulled Shadow up onto the stage, so that the two could just look at one another. His face, hard and devoid of emotion – as usual. While her face retained that sultry smile as usual, with eyes half-closed. There was nothing about the two that felt out of ordinary; the two always looked like this. But then, Rouge's eyes closed more, far more than usual. Shadow's gruff appearance also changed, as he noticed is ally's shift in demeanor.

"Rouge..." he whispered to her, eyebrow raised, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, Shadow," she said, laughing at the predicament they had found themselves in, "Tell me, Black Wind, do you know how to dance?"

"I don't see why that that has anything to do with us..." Shadow said as he used a hand to smooth back his quills, "But... yes... I know how to dance..." he then peered hard at her, finally realizing she was planning on doing something, "What are you getting at, Rouge?"

"You need to loosen up a bit, Shadow," Rouge said as she suddenly placed on of his hands on her hips, while she placed a hand on his shoulder, "You're always so uptight and so angry; that can't be good for your blood pressure..."

"I think we're done here..." he said as he pulled his hands back, only for them to be yanked back into position by Rouge.

"Nuh-uh-uh!" the bat said, shaking her head at him, "I was able to get you up here! That means you and we have to dance."

"I don't think so..." he stated as he shook his head, though unable to actually pull himself from Rouge's wiles, "But... I guess I should repay you for all the help you've given me so far..."

"Aren't you the flatterer," Rouge said sarcastically, smiling nonetheless, "I save your life a few times, you repay me with a dance... but... I know the truth, Shadow. You don't have to lie to me anyway. By the by, you're absolutely dreadful at it."

He peered at her, but did not deny her statement. Instead he followed as her feet instructed. Move right, move right. Move left, move left. Move back, move forward. Move forward, move back. Spin around, repeat. They did this two or three times, before Rouge began leaning back, and Shadow reacted with her.

And they stopped.

"Nice feet, Shadow," the bat said, her hand trailing the bottom jaw of the ever emotionless hedgehog, "C'mon, crack a smile for a change..."

Shadow felt his lips actually twitch, like he was about to abide by her command and crack a smile. But just before that moment could actually happen, his red gaze caught something right out the corner of his eyes. Shadow gasped, causing Rouge to do like wise. Immediately after he dropped her to the ground, while he pulled back.

PEWWWW!

A red bolt of searing energy flew across their faces, lighting up the room briefly, before gliding right through the wall. Shadow quickly began growling as he looked toward the casino's entrance, staring toward the being who shot at them.

He first noticed the smoking pincer, aiming right at them. Yeah, that's right, a pincer, as in a crab's pincer. It was orange, and as it closed, it concealed a gun barrel used to shoot at them. It was a mechanical being, with a head barely visible beneath its shell. However, the two mobians could see the two glaring eyes darting back at them. This robot had a shield with a star on it, and resembled the bumpers of a pinball machine.

"Another Badnik..." Shadow growled, before growing frustrated with his own actions, "I shouldn't have let you do that, Rouge!"

"W-wait! Shadow!" the bat shouted as he immediately spun dashed forward.

He slammed into the Badnik's shield, the force of the action causing him to bounce back. Quickly, the large and bulky Badnik aimed it's pincer at him, opening the claw up. It fired another blast of pure energy toward Shadow, forcing him to dodge at sonic speeds. When he got back on his feet, the Badnik he faced suddenly turned it's pincer upside down, as it worked on a gear. Suddenly opening the pincer again, the Badnik revealed that the gun barrel had somehow changed. It aimed it toward Shadow, where it fired a series of blasts that were less precise than before, but far wider and far stronger. The Badniks new blasts were destructive, easily destroying the various slot machines and other gambling devices placed around. In doing so, the area was littered with money – both dollars and coins – which Shadow ignored. The Black Wind was more than capable of dodging the blasts, but he couldn't get any closer thanks to the wild spray of bullets. So instead he ducked back, charged energy within his hand briefly, then threw it forward whilst exclaiming;

"Chaos Spear!"

The yellow bolt of energy was deflected however by the Badnik's star-imprinted shield. The bolt destroyed another slot machine, and made Shadow roll his eyes in unison.

"You know, that's really getting annoying..." he grumbled, before being over taken by someone behind him.

"Leave it to me!" Rouge shouted as she flew up to the Badnik, "ERRRAAAAGH!"

The Beauty Shock; the technique Rouge exhibited back at Chemical Plant Zone. This time however, it wasn't as strong or as potent, meaning her lungs wouldn't be injured thanks to it. But the attack still took the form of a distorted shock wave, which made it's way into the Badnik's head. Hey, that shield can't protect from sound.

It's systems were frazzled by the attack, and it was unable to accurately work. When sight was reinstated, the first thing the Badnik saw was Shadow, promptly as he slammed his fist into it's robotic skull.

THONK! Seriously, he loved the sound of busting Badniks.

The force of Shadow's blow knocked the Badnik back, but did not defeat it. Instead, the Badnik – which is Crawler or Guardian Crab (take your pick) by the way – was able to stop itself from sliding back any further. Immediately so, the Crawler's claw rotated right-side-up again, as it's pincer closed shut. No more shooting, it would seem. Instead it would simply beat the mobians to death with its mechanical hands.

In a surprising feat despite it's large body, the Badnik rushed forward with it's shield pushed out first. The attack hit Shadow, who had lifted his arms to defend against the strike. With him pushed back for now, the Crawler immediately turned to face Rouge. It's pincer sliced the air toward her head, threatening to sever her entirely, though she dodged it by juking back. It struck again soon after, slashing at Rouge's body in a vertical manner, making her turn to one side to dodge it. She counter soon after, biting her bottom lip as her foot rocketed into the Badnik's side.

The strike sent the Badnik reeling, as it struggled to regain footing with it's cumbersome shield. The Badnik's own greatest tool would soon prove to be it's greatest weakness. Rouge flew around to the buckler, grabbing it by the edges as she pulled upon it. The Guardian Crab fought back against her actions as best it could, but the bat was undeterred. She pulled and pulled, eventually revealing the Badnik's hand arm which was attached to the shield. The Crawler pulled against her, right when the sound of rushing speed echoed.

It turned its head, facing the cause of the sound, just to see Shadow charging a Spin Dash. If Badniks could feel fear, it definitely was. In a flash, Shadow's spiny body rushed forward slashing through the Badnik's arm and tearing it's shield from the rest of it's body. Now unprotected from the Black Wind, the Badnik knew only one thing left to do.

Retreat.

It couldn't even get a few yards away, before a fist penetrated it's body. The large and defensive bound Badnik watched as it's circuits and boards were exposed for the whole world to see, as a clenched fist sat within the hole. The hand was steadily pulled out after, and the Badnik fell. But Shadow wasn't pleased with just killing the Badnik. He dove his hands into the hole soon after, shredding it's armored body to pieces, before finding what he really cared for.

Rouge watched from behind, as from the Badnik's carcass, a bear cub was retrieved. Shadow lifted the bear close to him, checking the animal as his finger rubbed it's belly gently. It was so weak, much like all organic batteries. Shadow couldn't stand the sight he saw.

"Becky..." he said to the bear as he placed her down.

Shadow shook his head in disdain, angered to see another animal used to charge one of Robotnik's dastardly Badniks. However his moment of reflection was short-lived, as the ceiling of the casino was suddenly torn asunder. Shadow and Rouge gazed sky-high together, while – of all things – a UFO stared back. It had many flashing lights, one part of it spun around in circles while the bottom half remained stationary, and it had a pair of powerful claws jutting from the bottom. These claws held an electrical current between the two which sparked constantly.

"What is that!?" Rouge shouted as she pressed on her scouter, watching as mechanical behemoth descended down upon them. No, not them, her.

"Rouge, move!" Shadow shouted, right as an electrical current began passing through her body.

BZZZZZZZZZRRRRRRRRRRT!

"AAAAAGGGHHHHHH!?" she screamed, as the entire area was illuminated by the strike.

Shadow was forced to cover his eyes, though that didn't stop him from moving forward. He marched toward Rouge, reaching out to her, only for his actions to be in vein. The machine continued to electrocute the bat, only stopping when she lost consciousness. But the bolt of energy kept her in place, acting like a tractor beam. It hovered out of the building and started flying off, prompting Shadow to chase it down. But the machine could fly, and he could not. He simply trained his eyes on the machine as it moved further and further away, skating as fast as he could. Rouge was still unconscious, and still in the tractor beam of the machine. Until the UFO's bottom opened up, and she was slipped inside.

…

"You look unusually happy today, doctor," her feminine voice rang.

He stared at the hologram of the woman before her, taking note of her smiling face. She was happy whenever he was happy, and she was still happy whenever he was unhappy. There was just something about this faux-woman which made the doctor happy.

"Oh, nothing Maria," Robotnik said as he stared to the screen on his desk, taking note of the frantic image on Shadow's face as he skated through the chase of the machine, "My plan is coming along wonderfully! Though the destruction of Guardian Crab has been heartfelt, I must say the Egg Mobile-C is putting up a wonderful show!" he clapped his hands together lightly, "I will finally be rid of Shadow the hedgehog, Rouge the bat, and have his Chaos Emeralds in my hands!"

He found, to his surprise, a stunning strand of silence. The CEO of Eggman Inc. continued gazing down to the screen, before bringing his eyes up to the hologram before him. Maria stared down to the image of Shadow, her head cocked to one side, her face an image of thought. She then moved her fingers down to the screen, touching upon it gently.

"Shadow the hedgehog..." she said, before her face contorted into pure rage and malice, "I hate Shadow the hedgehog! He causes your blood pressure to soar, Dr. Robotnik!" she looked up, face now hard as she glared at the doctor, "Please tell me you are planning on destroying him today!"

"As usual, my dear cousin!" he exclaimed as he stared down to the image, "Shadow the hedgehog shall not see the end of today!"

Shadow has passed Act 1.

…

Shadow's shoes flared stronger as he followed, only to find the world around him devolve into a route filled with money, shining lights, and springs everywhere. He stared around to the flashing lights and flaring life around him, despite the fact that the entire city was devoid of any souls anywhere. Well, save for those being used as organic batteries for Badniks.

How could he have lost track of it? One moment he was chasing the machine down, the next moment it just flew up and away. He had no idea how such a thing was possible; he must have been blinded by the lights this place found the need to flare into his eyes every freaking second! Or maybe his rage was clouding his own eyesight.

"Where is that DAMN Egg Mobile at!" he shouted as he grew frustrated with his seemingly endless chase.

As if triggered by his words, Shadow's ruby eyes trailed to the horizon. He could see it hovering far away; the Egg Mobile-C. The Black Wind gritted his teeth at the sight, while his hands were tightly woven fists. He hunched over, placing his fist to the ground, while the red and green Chaos Emeralds he had collected began floating around him. The hedgehog was empowered by the energies given to him thanks to the Chaos Emeralds; he felt capable of doing things thought impossible for him before. One such thing, the hedgehog began to turn a shining blue color. He looked at the Egg Mobile-C before him, rose from the ground in flight, then suddenly dashed for the machine.

The force of Shadow's lift off was so great, he left a visible crater in his wake, and even blew away objects from the force and wind. He flew toward the Egg Mobile-C at blistering speeds, easily catching up to it in comparisons to before. However his action caused the hedgehog strain, forcing him to power down just as he arrived.

Shadow landed on the ground in close vicinity to the Egg Mobile-C, noticing how it flew around in circles ever so slowly. HE crossed his arms at the sight and peered at the machine, walking up to it only to stop. His eyes trailed down, where in which he could see a large bowl-shaped arena. There were bumpers everywhere, springs, and lights flaring. Like a giant pinball machine.

"Look at this..." the hedgehog said as he placed his fists on his hips, "So this is where you've chosen as your final resting place... so be it..."

He leaped down to the massive arena, walking among the springs and bumpers. Shadow looked up to the doctor's machine as it hovered in circles above him. The Egg Mobile-C, 'C' stands for 'Catcher' by the way. A UFO looking machine with many flaring lights on the sides, pincers used for grabbing, and the ability to drop bombs. If one were to look it up in Eggman Inc.'s database, it would say the machine is used for the apprehension and capturing of fleeing criminals.

This is a lie. It's used for the speedy capture of fleeing mobians, and general destruction. Armed with the ability to conduct electricity as well as a tractor beam, the Egg Mobile-C is simply impossible to avoid or destroy.

Until now.

"Where's Rouge," he growled as he looked at the machine, "Tell me now, and I'll make your destruction quick!"

The Egg Mobile-C turned to face Shadow, it's silver dome turning to reveal a pair of optics. Said optics gazed upon Shadow, taking note of his strengths and weakness provided within Eggman Inc.'s database. Shadow, realizing talking with the machine was fruitless and foolish, slowly got ready for a fight.

Two holes in the front of the Egg Mobile-C opened, revealing twin machine gun barrels. Shadow's eyes squinted at the sight, before a hailstorm of bullets were rained upon his position. He quickly skated out of the way, sliding behind a bumper to protect himself. His hand began cackling with chaos energy, as he prepared his attack. Rolling from behind his bumper, he fired a Chaos Spear toward the machine. And just like many machines before, his attack was deflected.

"As expected..." he said as he dodged his own attack, "I see the doctor has learned from our previous encounters in the past. I'd be lying if I said I expected this... nonetheless, this only makes my job slightly higher... Robotnik!" he peered into the machine, "I know you can see and here me. I want you to know; this game is becoming extremely bothersome..."

The Egg Mobile-C sudden projected holes from the top of its hull, where in which explosives flew out. The spiky mines tracked down Shadow's every movements, following him closely. The hedgehog responded by jumping on a spring, which launched him sky-high. Immediately after, he tucked in, curled into a ball, and performed a speedy strike to the Egg Mobile-C's head. Shadow bounced off from the impact, where he landed on the other end. The Egg Mobile-C turned to face him, to which the hedgehog quickly charged a Chaos Spear. He fired it at the Egg Mobile-C, which countered with the electrical beams surging between it's two pincers.

A viscous power-struggle was thus started by the two combatants. Shadow's Chaos Spear and the Egg Mobile-C's power-beam fought for dominance, with both pushing the other back and forth. Electrical sparks would fly between the two every now and then, but no power was lost in the struggle overall.

Shadow quickly realized this fight was going nowhere. Dr. Robotnik had clearly created the Egg Mobile-C with catching him in mind. Good thing Shadow had a few tricks up his sleeves.

"You know," he growled as he continued outputting energy, "I too have gotten stronger since our last fight, doctor! Let me show you something! CHAOS BOOST!"

Suddenly Shadow's body flared red, causing a quake from the red aura that took his body. The Chaos Spear he summoned suddenly had it's strength output to 10x max. He easily overpowered the Egg Mobile-C's power-beam, destroying both of it's pincers in the process. Shadow smiled after the performance, only to lean over on one leg from exhaustion.

"Dammit..." he growled as he recoiled from his own performance, "Maybe... I should've saved that for a time when I really needed it..."

He looked back up to the Egg Mobile-C, watching as it recoiled from the destruction of its pincers. Never deterred from a battle, Shadow took his fighting stance once more in preparation. The machine's guns slid out only seconds later, taking deadly aim at the hedgehog before it. The barrels began spinning, and soon after death began falling from above. Shadow jumped onto more springs and bumpers, bouncing around before striking the Egg Mobile-C's head. He bounced back up, only to shoot back down in an monstrous press. He performed the action three times, with the last stomp sending it crashing into the earth below.

Shadow landed, but the Egg Mobile-C wasn't finished. It shot out it's tractor beam in a vain attempt to capture the hedgehog. The beam missed however, as Shadow as far to fast to be caught by the attack. Instead he dashed around the arena, gaining up enough speed and momentum to perform a powerful enough Spin Dash to crack the Badnik's hull.

Shadow landed on his feet after the attack, looking at the beast with red eyes glaring. To his surprise, the Egg Mobile-C was unharmed.

"After all that..." he groaned, "You haven't bit that affected, huh..." if he had Rouge here, he knew their combined strikes would've destroyed it, "I see... hm... I guess I'll have to hit you hard from the inside..."

Shadow closed his eyes, placed a hand on his hip, then put another hand above his head. As he focused, he could not hear or feel anything from the outside world. Even when the Egg Mobile-C captured him with it's tractor beam, he remained in the same position. A few seconds later however, he began shaking, as if whatever he was preparing was quickly starting to loose concentration. Just what was he doing, actually?

"Chaos..." he said lowly, revealing it to be another one of his 'Chaos' attacks, "MAGIC!"

He snapped his fingers.

SNAP!

And nothing happened. The Egg Mobile-C was still bringing him in with its tractor beam, and he was still unable to move.

Until said tractor beam began to fizzle out. Shadow fell on the ground, as the Egg Mobile-C began shaking. Before his very eyes, an explosion appeared to be triggered from within the Badniks. Pieces of its hard shell was thrown about, while many more explosions occurred all within the Egg Mobile-C's body. The lights on its flickering body died out, the powerful beams of electricity it mustered short-circuited, and suddenly...

KA-BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Pieces of the Egg Mobile-C began to liter the area, while a thick smog filled the area. Shadow walked toward the fog, as the sound of coughing echoed into his ears.

"Oooooowwwww... everything hurts... ah!?"

The bat was pulled up, now resting in the arms of a certain black and red hedgehog. Rouge looked up to him, and he stared back. His face hard, cold, and emotionless as usual. But then he cocked his head at her, and his face became softer. Gentler, even. Even that usual frown – which had become one of his most defining traits – transformed into a simple line of indifference.

"Cool city... what's next?" he inquired of her, to which the bat pouted her lips.

…

"DAMMIT!" the doctor roared, his fist slamming down upon his desk.

The slam was so hard, the screens on the inside were frizzled and made inoperable for the time being. Dr. Robotnik tapped on his chin, feeling clear frustration that another plan of his failed. He kidnapped Rouge and had her where he wanted her; why did the hedgehog still succeed? Reinforced hull, chaos deflecting body, tractor beam, electrical power-beam; the Egg Mobile-C used his most up-to-date schematics and designs, only to be destroyed?

Chaos Magic. Shadow had never performed the tactic in their last fight on South Island. Nor did he use Chaos Blast, or Chaos Ball, and even Chaos Spear he used a rare amount of times. The hedgehog truly was stronger now than he was in their last fight.

"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow..." he growled, sitting back in his chair.

Maria appeared before him suddenly, staring down to the screen. All she could see was the black and red hedgehog walking off with Rouge in his arms. Clearly they were going to destroy the Animal Capsule of that zone. Another failure it would seem.

"Dr. Robotnik," Maria said to him, noticing his unhappiness, "If it is any consolation..." she smiled, "The Death Egg is now approximately 80% complete. In the coming days, we believe it shall be ready for operation."

The Death Egg. It made Dr. Robotnik smile. All of Shadow's actions were pointless. The Death Egg was going to be completed. Chaos Emeralds or not, the world was going to fall. Everything he had done on West Side Island was for this, anyway. Capturing it, searching for the seventh Chaos Emerald, all to power his greatest machine.

"Soon, Maria," Robotnik said as he stood up, turning toward the object of his desired affection, "The entire world will know what it feels like to be... roboticized..."

"Indeed, Dr. Robotnik," she answered.

Shadow and Rouge have completed Carnival Night Zone.


	6. Dusty Winter Zone

Dusty Winter Zone

One moment, they were walking easily out of Casino Night Zone, the next moment, the most powerful snow storm known to man was falling upon their bodies. They trudged on however, our heroes did, not about to let the forces of nature stop their most righteous quest. If you could call it righteous, that is.

Seriously, it was next level how fast this winter storm appeared. After all, it was the middle of summer as they trailed up the mountain side. One moment they were walking along a nice spring-time valley, the next moment, winter came at them with full force. Hot damn.

They could use a couple of those right now.

"This is clearly the doctor's doing!" Shadow yelled as they marched up the snowy hill side, using his arm to block his face from the snow which pelted him, constantly, "I can feel it in my blood!"

"I know Dr. Robotnik is powerful!" Rouge's voice yelled over the wind as best she could, using her wings to deflect snow from her face as well, "But really!? Do you really think he's capable of weather manipulation!?"

Well, clearly not Robotnik himself, but some machine he had somewhere. Charging endlessly to change the patterns in the sky, calling down torrential winds and heavy snowfalls. With the weather raging as brutally, there wasn't much the two mobians could do at this moment. Rouge still felt drained after her run in with the Egg Mobile-C, and despite having two Chaos Emeralds in his possession, Shadow still felt his powers fluctuate wildly.

"Shadow!" Rouge shouted as she walked up behind her, "We can't keep going through this! We need to find a place to hang things up! - PFFFFFFTTTTTT!? - Augh! It just hit me in my face!"

"ERRRRGGGGH!" Shadow yelled, he too being bombarded by globs of snow flung into his face, "Let's get moving!"

He stared forward as best he could, searching in vain for any area they could use to protect themselves. He eventually found it, as best he could; a hidden grotto on the side of a mountain. He turned and faced the area around them, seeing nothing but the white blur of snow. Meaning this one cave in the middle of nowhere was their saving grace.

"Let's go..." he said as he grabbed Rouge's hand, suddenly blasting forward as sonic speeds.

The two zoomed inside, with the entrance acting as barrier from the snow storm raging outside. Shadow turned and faced it, eyebrow raised as he walked backwards. With the cold gone, he could tell just how sapped of energy he was by it. It wasn't like the cave itself was much hotter, meaning he still got no rest from the raging temperatures.

"Huh... huh... huh..." he panted, leaning over his knees as he attempted to catch his breath, "Ugh... I need some sleep..."

"You're telling me..." Rouge said as she brushed snow from off her arms and wings, "After being electrocuted, stolen by a robot, and then forced to survive an explosion from the inside thanks to you, I have the right to rest far more than you do!"

"Don't start..." he growled.

Shadow leaned up against the cavern, staring out to the blazing winter storm outside. It didn't look like it was going to be dying anytime soon, which made their quest that much harder. His hand grew hard into a fist, making him growl. The more time they wasted in a place like this, the less time they had for finding the Chaos Emerald, and the less time they had to foil Robotnik's plans.

ZOOSH!

He turned around, facing an area deeper in the cave. Right before his eyes was a small fire, raging and giving warmth. This deep inside the cave, it would be very hard for the snow to make it's way in and douse out the flames. Sitting behind the fire was Rouge, who had her gloves off revealing tan hands that sought warmth from the fire before her.

"Oh... so good..." she commented to herself, while her dark ally sat down on the opposite side of the fire, Why don't you take off your gloves, Shadow. You're probably way colder than I am right now."

His ruby eyes looked down to said gloves, paying attention to the white fabric he wore day in and day out. It appeared as if he was going to heed Rouge's offer, for one hand began to pull at the top of another glove. But before doing so, he instead fastened the glove even harder down upon his paw.

"No... I'm fine..." he stated, instead crossing his arms as he sat outside the flame as well.

"You know Shadow, you don't have to act all-powerful like you usually do," Rouge stated, annoyed by his reply, "You may be able to teleport. Shoot blasts of whatever from your fingers, and run faster than freaking light, but you are still just a hedgehog..." she shook her head, "Act like a mortal from a change and take your gloves off before you catch a freaking cold..."

There was something about what she said which made Shadow's eyes trail into the fire. He stared deep into the flames, as if mesmerized by it. The sound it made, the heat it gave off, the smell of the embers, the sound of gunfire. He began shaking in place, as if intimidated by the fire before him. It was like he was afraid of the fire. But that couldn't be it too. He just didn't like fire.

It reminded him of something. Far long memories that now felt like distant dreams. People who we once know, that now represent nothing but tears. Days that had become months, and months that had become years. What was he thinking about whenever he looked into the fires? All he could think of was a tragic event which happened far ago. A tragic event he could barely process.

He only knew it dealt with a person named...

"Maria..." he whispered.

"Who is Maria!" Rouge shouted, jostling Shadow from his self-induced trance, "Seriously! All the time! Who is Maria!? Was she some girl you knew long ago before meeting me, Shadow? Is that why your plane has 'Maria' written on the side in large white letters!"

Shadow looked up to Rouge, taking note of her annoyed face. Then he looked back down to the fire. Just who was Maria? Not even he knew. He just knew it was a name that had haunted him for as long as he could remember. Every now and then, in his dreams, he'd see a girl there. A human girl, that is. Her back turned to him, glowing a transcendent light. She would have long blonde hair, a petite frame, and somewhat pale skin. In his dreams, he would run up to her, and try his hardest to get her attention. But she'd never face him. She'd always have her back turned, and no matter how hard he ran, he was never able to catch up with her. Shadow the hedgehog knew nothing about this human girl, but he had long ago attached the name 'Maria' to her.

"I..." the hedgehog said as he finally gained the energy to look up to his ally, "I don't know who Maria is..." his eyes trailed back down to the fire, "I... I really don't..."

"How can you not know who 'Maria' is?" Rouge inquired, eyebrow raised, "I mean... you must know something of her... at least subconsciously..."

"All I know about Maria is her name... that's it..." the hedgehog retorted, eyes closing shut, "I don't know what her last name is, who she was, what kind of person she was. I just know she's a human girl named Maria... I... I think..."

A human girl named 'Maria'. Shadow really was a mysterious person, Rouge had long since come to terms with that. The way he acted, the powers he employed, it was all apart of that mysterious aroma that drew attention to him. Throw in the fact that he was a hero, and you have someone who everyone has their eyes on, even if he didn't want those eyes in the first place.

She stared back to the entrance of the cave, seeing nothing but snow being lobbed around in a frenzied manner. They still couldn't move about in all that.

"Riddle me this, then," Rouge said, "What has Dr. Robotnik done that has gained Shadow's ire and hatred, hm? I know you, Shadow. You don't hold such considerable hatred for just anyone. If anything, Robotnik's actions seem like something that would attract you, right? He's a considerable person of interest who I think you'd work with every now in then. If not in our world, then in another, right?"

"I'd never work with Robotnik," he growled, his eyes glancing off into the distance, "I think you're jumping to conclusions, Rouge..."

"You still haven't answered my question, Shadow," she said, teal eyes glowing, "What is it about Shadow the hedgehog that has driven a spire of hatred into his heart. Especially when one considers the name 'Doctor Ivo Robotnik'?"

"You know my anger toward Robotnik," Shadow growled slightly, "There's no point in going over the same thing over and over again..."

"This is called 'talking' Shadow," Rouge retorted sharply, "I know you aren't used to it, but it's what people do with one another, especially when a raging blizzard keeps them trapped in a cave together... well, either that or..." she giggled as her mind pranced to other areas, "Never mind what else we could do... I just want to know when it all started with you, Shadow. Why did you fight against Robotnik the first time. When did you become every mobian's hero?"

He crossed his arms over one another, then stared down to the flames. What was it about Rouge that let him open up like this? If he were truly a delusional kind, he'd say it was similar to how his mother got him to talk. But Bernadette was his mom, Rouge was his friend.

And, yes, calling Rouge his friend still leaves a bad taste in his mouth.

"A few years ago... I needed to learn some things about myself," he said, "It was before we met. Before I fought Robotnik the first time. I left my home in South Island to travel around the world in the Tornado. I was unsure of many things, specifically who I was..." his eyes closed, "I had nightmares a lot... I could remember things of a life I had before I met my parents... that shouldn't be possible..." his eyes reopened to look at Rouge's confused face, "That's where that 'Maria' girl comes into place. Then one day I found a Chaos Emerald. I knew I was tied to it somehow, because of my powers... upon my return to South Island to talk to my parents again, I found the entire place under control of Dr. Robotnik. The rest, as they say, his history..."

"So... Shadow..." Rouge said, "Are you trying to tell me you have... some kind of amnesia?"

"I don't think so," Shadow stated, "I've learned all I care to know about myself, and then some... this Maria girl, though she haunts me, is not someone I intend on chasing down until I die. I'm Shadow the hedgehog, the Black Wind, now and forever. The rest is immaterial. But Robotnik... I'll make him pay for what he did to my home, that's for sure..."

Shadow's eyes suddenly closed while his mouth opened wide. He gave a hard yawn, showing just how tired and exhausted he was. Black Wind or not, the power of nature can still sap one's strength. He leaned down near the fire moments after, still staring into the flames. He actually did feel better with the flames at his front.

"I'm tired..." he said, eyes growing heavy.

It didn't take long before the hedgehog was sleeping gently. Rouge's eyes remained on his body, taking in his words. She had known Shadow for quite sometime, though that was easily the most she had gotten out of him in such a long while.

Hand slipping into her overall's pockets, Rouge eventually grabbed a small machine within. It was a small compact device, similar to a PDA. Only it had a stylized 'G' on the back of it, one with stars imprinted all around. Rouge lifted her device close to head and began tapping away upon it. She looked at Shadow, looked at the device, looked at Shadow, then looked back. And finally, she sighed.

"Shadow the hedgehog... the Black Wind..." she whispered, before placing the machine back in her pockets.

…

It was extremely cold last night, right? Then why was it so blisteringly hot!?

Shadow pulled up, sweating buckets, as his quills pointed down from all the moisture. He dragged his arm against his forehead, cleaning some sweat, only for more sweat to pour out. Their fire had died out, which was good. Any more heat and he would've passed out only seconds after waking up.

He got to his feet slowly, feeling the heat on his skin and fur. It was dark in the cave, though a sunlight was peering through from the entrance. Withdrawing one of his Chaos Emeralds, the hedgehog brought light in to the cavern so he could see. He quickly noticed that his friend wasn't there.

"Rouge!" he shouted, somewhat frantically, "Where are you?"

"I'm up here!" her voice answered, making an eyebrow raise.

Suddenly a figure dropped behind him, making the hedgehog spin around with an attack on instinct. Once he realized who it was standing behind him however, his karate chopped came to a stellar halt. Rouge was there, gazing at him sensually, one of her overall straps down, while her hair fell from the sweat she had gained as well. And yet she still remained smiling; that's something only Rouge can do.

"Had a good sleep, prince?" she asked, making his eyes roll.

"Rouge... what's going on here?" he inquired instead, not going to play her games.

"Well I think it's pretty obvious the blizzard's over," she said as she looked toward the entrance, "I think we can leave now..."

"If I actually want to," the Black Wind commented under his breath as the two headed for the entrance together.

On the other side, the winter wonderland presented to them before was replaced with pure desert. Seriously, before the two mobians sat miles upon miles of blistering desert. The rays of heat made the horizon quiver, the sands were shifting, and the sun appeared to be insanely close. Though, to be honest, that could've just been their minds playing tricks on them.

What wasn't playing tricks on them was the weather change. How could an extreme winter one moment become a melting desert the next? Shadow was perplexed by this situation, and this showed by his angered face. Rouge however laid a hand on her chest as she walked up, head cocked to one side while her ears twitched.

"Rouge, elaborate!" Shadow simply commanded, showing clear frustration with their current situation.

"Oh what's wrong, Shadow," the bat asked in a teasing manner, "The big bad Black Wind doesn't like the summer," his eye merely twitched in rage at her statement, "From what I know, this is known as Dust Hill Zone. And this appears to be its true form. But intelligence I have on the area claims that wild and sporadic weather changes are expected of this zone..."

"Where does your 'intelligence' come from?" Shadow inquired, to which his friend merely giggled.

"Oh Shadow, rushing into things like a hardheaded idiot," she laughed some more, "Unlike you, I spent last night trying to find out what predicament we're in. This zone's issues don't deal with Robotnik's machines; it's been this way for a few years now. Starting when South Island had been revitalized by the six Chaos Emeralds..." she then stared hard into his shocked face, "Sound kinda familiar?"

"So you think that the weather problems here are caused by a-"

"Chaos Emerald, indeed," the bat said as she nodded, "Now the main question is why is it causing so much damage to the area, and why is it summoning the storms. Dust Hill Zone wasn't this hot until after the Chaos Emerald arrived, and the winter them didn't appear until after the Chaos Emerald as well..."

"A better question would by why hasn't the doctor located it as of yet?" the hedgehog asked, his arms crossed, "Though to be honest, I'm pretty sure he's been searching. The lack of Badniks around here is astonishing, however..."

"You should thank me," Rouge said as she wagged her finger at him, "After all, if it wasn't for me, you'd have no idea it was here."

He opened his mouth to give a retort, but he didn't. He instead stopped, gave a small smile, and nodded toward his ally.

"Thanks Rouge," he said, surprising her a bit, "Now let's get moving."

His shoes flared to life beneath him, where he dashed off a second later. Rouge lingered from behind, before nodding herself. Wings flapping, she took off in chase of her ally, following close as he skated away.

…

Whenever he got frustrated, this was what he did. Build things. He'd go into a small chamber with all the tools necessary to start creating things. Right now, that's what he did. Build a new horrible invention within his own chamber.

Today was a new item. Small and blue, large yellow eyes; he had based it's design after one of those 'Chao' creatures. The prototype of a new line of inventions, the doctor began to seal the back panel expertly with his wrench. When it was in place, his finger traveled to the machine's neck, where upon sat a switch. He flipped it.

"Ah-ha!" the machine said, yellow eyes glowing, "I'm alive! Oh thank you daddy! My name is Omo-BLEGH!?"

"No," Robotnik said as he immediately turned the fake Chao off, "I haven't the slightest clue why I gave it such a voice but..." he shivered, "No... not in a million years... though those ignorant children might like something this stupid!"

The door to the chamber suddenly slid open, though nothing came in. It closed shortly after, just as mysteriously. Seconds later, a blue light appeared behind the doctor. Said light took the form of a woman, who placed her hand upon the doctor's shoulder.

"Robotnik," Maria said, smile on her face, "You're up and making things again! That's wonderful!"

"I wouldn't call it that..." Robotnik replied, turning around in his chair to face the woman, "More like failing... and I thought I had grown since my Scratch and Grounder days... ugh..." he shook his head some more in disdain and disgust, before looking back up to the hologram, "You look unusually cheery this evening, Maria. Is there something you wish to tell me?"

"As usual, your genius is simply unmatched, Robotnik," the hologram said, smile on her face, "You were right; the cause of Dust Hill Zone's weather troubles is caused by a Chaos Emerald. Our scanners have finally picked them up..." she then closed her eyes and her face grew hard. Lips bent into a frown, while her angered eyebrows began twitching, "We have also learned that Shadow the hedgehog and Rouge the bat have entered the zone. Searching for the Emerald, no doubt!"

"Now, now Maria," Robotnik said, wagging his finger, "There's no need to be angry when it comes to our guests. Shadow is working for us, after all..." he smiled insidiously, "Even if the little brat doesn't know it!"

"I'm confused, Robotnik," Maria said, head cocked to one side as she looked at him, "What do you mean?"

"If Shadow collects the Chaos Emerald, that means I don't have to waste time and resources searching for it within that abominable Dust Hill Zone," Robotnik claimed with a smile, "But if he were to die within Dust Hill Zone, then I'd be free of his nuisance forever! Clearly, Maria, this is a win-win situation for the both of us!"

He suddenly began laughing, while the hologram went over his words. Processing everything quickly, she too started to laugh at his statement.

"That's why you're the genius, Robotnik!" Maria stated, "Only you could come up with a plan so utterly perfect!"

Together, the cousins laughed in the small room, feeling as if another full-proof plan was about to go without issue. But of course, there was a small doubt in the back of Robotnik's mind. No, not a doubt, a truth. He knew what would really happen. The Black Wind would not be killed by the forces of nature, no matter how erratic they may be.

That didn't matter anyway. He didn't want Shadow to die. Not yet at least.

Not yet.

Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1.

…

"ACHOOO!"

He pulled back, eyes slightly frazzled, some snot hanging from his nose. The hedgehog shook his head to clean the sweat from his fur and snot from his nose, before glaring down to his hands. A red haze was burning on his muzzle, a feeling he hadn't felt before. He was about to sneeze again, when the sight of a napkin appeared. He grasped for it, put it to his nose, then sneezed again.

"ACHOOO!"

"You know, Shadow," Rouge said as she pulled back her hand, "From all the time we've spent with one another, I've never seen you sneeze..." she cocked her head, "Is there something your not telling me? Are you getting sick?"

"I'm not getting sick," Shadow growled as he rubbed his nose with that napkin, "I can't get sick..."

"Oh you don't have to lie to me, Shadow," Rouge said as she walked to him.

"No, seriously, I can't get sick," the hedgehog stated, "I've never been able to get sick before... if I'm sneezing – ACHOOO! - Then that means there's a Chaos Emerald around here... my body's been weakened to the area around it thanks to the Chaos Emerald's pull..."

"How do you know that?" the bat asked, before shaking her head, "Ugh... it doesn't matter... your weird body is your weird body... and I thought us women had it bad," hand on her chest, she walked past him, "Fortunately for you, Shadow the hedgehog, I'm such the expert treasure hunter, I can find the Chaos Emerald without wasting so much time!"

"Rouge, this isn't some game!" he somewhat shouted, facing filled with annoyance.

"Just shut up, Shadow," the bat said, "Let me do my thing!"

She closed her eyes shortly after, while Shadow closed his mouth. She said nothing – which was different from the usually talkative Rouge – instead focusing on her task at hand. Slowly after, she hiked down to the hot desert sands, placing her palm to the ground. She could see it; somewhere deep inside. A subtle, if not weak, beeping was echoing into her ear.

"Ah yeah, baby!" Rouge said, smile on her face, "Come to momma!"

Her wings flapped suddenly, and she took off. Shadow rolled his eyes as he followed on the ground, walking instead of skating. Rouge was high in the sky, looking for the Chaos Emerald she searched for so valiantly. Sure, she could have tipped down her scouter to get a better sight of things, but this was always better. The natural way.

Maybe it was her species, maybe it was apart of her special training, or maybe it was just due to hard work. Whatever the case may be, Rouge had a hidden sonar when it came to finding valuable treasures. It would beep the closer she came to it; the most concealed of secrets would reveal themselves to her in person.

Chaos Emeralds were no different.

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! She heard it call within her head.

Her wings flapped as she took off for a rock formation in the future. The closer she got to it, the larger Desert Hill Zone showed itself to be. She came to a stop, her teal eyes glaring into the distance. She could see a large mountain rage far in the distance, which appeared blue and green. It stretched high above the clouds with its amazing height. Rouge could only stare in awe toward it.

"Rouge!" Shadow's voice suddenly called from below, "Have you found it yet!?"

"Just wait, Shadow!" she shouted back, "I'm looking!"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! The sound of her biological radar echoed, showing her she was on the right track, BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEEP! It sounded on at a rapid pace, showing she was closer to that which she sought.

Rouge gazing up, Rouge was closer to the rock formation she sought from a distance. She landed on the side of a cliff, staring down to the sands below. Quite the nasty fall would befall a person without wings. She turned around, staring inside a cave which sat on the mountainous formation's side. The closer she got, the wilder her inner radar rung.

BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!BEEP!

"It's gotta be close," the bat said as she tipped down her scouter on her eye, staring into the dark cavern.

GRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Rouge stared toward the sky, noticing how fast the once blue skies were replaced with endless grey clouds. The temperature dropped dramatically, going from blisteringly hot, to chillingly cold. The bat couldn't help but to shiver from the sight of it all, while she grabbed at her body to warm herself up.

"I really should've put on my body suit before going through all this..." she said, commenting on the overalls she had chosen to wear instead.

Lightning flared in the heavens, while the same snow storm that greeted them when they arrived returned to trouble their venture. Rouge leaped back, right as a snowball as large as her body was flung to strike her. She didn't bother with lingering outside; instead listening to her inner radar as she bolted into the cave before her.

When she escaped the snow storm outside, Rouge withdrew her PDA-like device and turned it on. She used it as her only light source, helping her see in the dark cavern. The light peered left and right, up and down, all in search for the Chaos Emerald. Her radar was beeping wildly now; she was so close it kinda hurt.

"Darnit!" she grumbled, "Where is that- OOF!?"

Her face met dirt. Pulling up, the bat looked around in annoyance, feeling utter disbelief that she had tripped. Looking over to the rock mound that fell her, the bat noticed a glowing blue light staring back. Her teal eyes shined in reflection, while a very small 'EEP!' escaped her lips. She quickly snatched up the jewel, where it's wonderful blue glow illuminated the entire area.

"Ah! Chaos Emerald!" she said as she twirled with the rock in hand, "You're so amazing, aren't you?"

It glowed even brighter, making Rouge pull back. It's wondrous illumination helped show the entirety of the cave she stood in. At first, all of it appeared to be just another cave. Until Rouge's eyes stared up toward the wall before her.

Hieroglyphics. Large, expansive, hieroglyphics. Rouge could see many mobians, but one specifically who looked like a king. He held a purple rock in his hand which looked extremely similar to a Chaos Emerald. It showed that, with the purple rock, he was able to do many great things for his people. He built a civilization that would last for years.

Until the kami took the rock away.

"Oh... wait... I already know this," Rouge said as she walked off, disinterested in what it had to offer, "I've got what I came to get..."

But there was one thing she didn't see. Deeper in the cave, but still close enough to see had she simply turned. It showed a being who had collected all seven Chaos Emeralds. And the images depicted this being as a god.

When Rouge stepped out of the cave with the Chaos Emerald in hand, she noticed something. The blizzard had died away. Sure, snow was everywhere, but when he sun came back all of this would be gone. She looked down to the blue Chaos Emerald, then back to the land around her.

"So the Emerald was the cause of all this... hm..." Rouge said with a smile, "How cute..." then she looked around again, "Shadow! Shadow! Shadow where are you!?"

"Over here..." his voice answered, though extremely muffled.

Rouge looked to where his voice echoed from, where in which she began giggling. Those giggles gave way to laughter, as she hugged her gut.

"No! Stop it!" she laughed, "It's too much!"

Shadow was there alright. Or at least a snowman in the shape and form of Shadow.

"Stop... laughing!" the snow-covered Shadow growled, to which Rouge ignored him.

…

They could have used the time to keep going. Maybe they should have used that time to keep going. But they didn't. After being battered around by a blizzard and heated desert in the same day, the two decided to simply stop and rest. But there was a big difference.

Usually, Rouge needed to fuss and shout to get Shadow to stop. He was a freaking machine, even if his body screamed for rest as well. He'd keep trekking until the job was done, or he was dead. But this time, when she said 'we should rest' he simply replied with 'yeah...'

Shadow stared into the heat of the fire, it reflecting in his eyes. A yawn escaped him, forcing the hedgehog to cover up with his hand. All the while, a certain sultry bat walked from behind and sat on the opposite end of the fire. She was grabbing her arms, rubbing them in an attempt to stave off the cold.

"Man... desert or blizzard, it's still cold," she stated as she removed her gloves, "Hey, Shadow. Got anything with those Chaos Emeralds that could help? Like... Chaos Heat or something?"

"If I did, I'm pretty sure something would blow up..." Shadow stated simply as he continued looking at the fire, "I'm not sure my Chaos powers can be used for things like that..."

"Of course..." Rouge said as she withdrew the blue Chaos Emerald, it still being on her person, "Isn't it amazing, Shadow? It's so wonderful and exuberant... ah! It makes me shiver from thrills!" she nuzzled it a bit, "Makes momma happy."

"Those Emeralds are more important than you may think, Rouge," Shadow stated, "I wouldn't keep playing with it like that... who knows what might happen..."

"Always business with Shadow, never anytime for pleasure," the bat said with a laugh.

"Quite the opposite from you, might I say," the Black Wind replied.

His retort, though a jab, made the bat smirk. She began laughing, happy he had said something like that, as oppose to one of his usual chastisements. The hedgehog was quite confused, but soon began chuckling as well. That came to a stop however, when he suddenly began shivering.

"Shadow... you should really take off your gloves..." the bat stated, "If you put your hands near the fire, it'll make you feel better. Your real hands. Put your gloves near the fire as well; they'll heat up."

Honestly, she was sure he would ignore her, much like he did last night, and much like he does with many of her helpful tips. But he didn't put up a verbal defense; he didn't really say anything. All Rouge remembered hear was the sound of his gloves falling, as the metal plants hit the ground. She looked at Shadow's hands, realizing this was the first time she had ever seen them. They were somewhat like claws, the way his fingertips were sharp. He moved his hands near the flames, held them down, when the most pleasurable groan she had ever heard him enunciate escaped him.

"Feel better?" she asked with a smile.

"I can't complain..." he replied.

Dust Hill Zone completed.

Next, Hill Top Zone.


	7. Hill Top Hell Zone

Hill Top Hell Zone

"Oh Chaos it's hot!"

"We're on West Side Island now, Rouge... Chaos wouldn't be the correct deity in this place..."

"Fine then, oh Argus, it's hot... is that better?"

"Someone knows their mythology..."

Hours of walking finally revealed to them that where they stood. Despite coming from a desert, the two mobians found themselves in another hot zone. While not as incredibly hot as the weather manipulations of Dust Hill Zone, this place still had to be the hottest zone in all of West Side Island! Not to mention how the earth seemed to rumble beneath their feet.

But, man, was it so incredibly gorgeous! The grass was a wonderful green, flowers were sprouting up everywhere, and the trees stood tall to attention. As high up as they were, for miles around there was nothing but puffy white clouds. The mountains of West Side Island – Hill Top Zone – gave a sight for as far as the eye could see. Every inch of West Side Island was visible to them, though most was covered by white clouds.

Shadow glared over the mountainous cliffs, gazing down to zones passed before. There was Emerald Hill, Chemical Plant and even Casino Nights Zone. It brought a smile to Shadow's face, knowing that each and every one of those zones had been liberated by now. This zone was just another in a long list – but dwindling – list.

"Alright Rouge," Shadow said as he pulled on his glove, focusing his eyes down on the fields before him, "Let's start moving..."

His shoes suddenly flaring to life, he began skating off. Rouge shouted some words at him, while her wings began flapping. She took off at similar speeds, being perfectly capable of keeping up with the hedgehog as he ran off.

…

The endless clicking in the room had him slightly tensed. She was amazing at her job; damn-fine even. But he still had his mind elsewhere. Staring down to the massive map of West Side Island, the demented doctor found his eyes trailing to a specific zone. Dust Hill Zone had it's random weather finally dealt with. There were no more snowstorms, no more slicing sands; all was quite and calm.

So they actually did it. They actually collected the Chaos Emerald in that zone. Was it kinda silly of him to think they'd be killed by the sands? Well, yeah. Shadow was too great an opponent to let simple weather derail his quest. But the doctor couldn't say the day had been a total failure. With Shadow's collection of the Chaos Emerald within the zone, the dictator only needed to steal it from him later on. Preferably from Shadow's own corpse.

He couldn't help but to prod his fingers, while a low and malicious chuckle escaped from his lips. The doctor began stroking his magnificent mustache, finding it in his great grace this moment could happen. He leaned back, now knowing victory was so close in hand. Hell, he'd say victory was already within his grasps!

The purple Chaos Emerald in hand sparkled brilliantly, casting its glow over the room like a dragnet. He pulled the stone back, placing it away into a small holder which sat upon his chair. Smiling, the doctor began rubbing the front of his desk.

"Someone's happy," a woman's voice echoed, a slight giggle added in as well, "Are your brilliant plans coming together, Ivo?"

"Of course they are, Maria!" he said, so extremely optimistic about his future, "With Shadow's acquisition of the Chaos Emerald in Dust Hill Zone, it's only a matter of time before the world belongs to me! I'll start with the entire roboticization of West Side Island, then I'll retake South Island! North and East Side Islands will belong to me by the end of the month! And after..." his laughing died, as he laid back in his chair, glaring down at the map with red eyes, "The world..."

"Ivo..." Maria whispered.

Shadow and Rouge have entered Hill Top Zone.

…

The earth was shaking, nearly uncontrollably as the two mobians raced atop it. Shadow stared over the mountainous hills to deeper green valleys. Wonderful flowers, bluish-dirt, and tall trees mixed with the rocky crags of mountains among other things. But there had to be something beneath all the chunks of earth; something making the plates beneath their feet shift and quake constantly.

"I can feel it..." the Black Wind mumbled, continuing to skate along the hills of Hill Top at a somewhat leisurely pace.

"Can feel what?" Rouge inquired, eyebrow raised as she looked at her ally.

"The Chaos Emerald," he stated, his sense for Chaos Energies far stronger than hers, "All of these sudden plate shifts and earthquakes. It's clearly caused by the powers of an Emerald. Only..." he looked around in all directions very briefly, "Where is it?"

GGGRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUUUUMMMBBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLEEEEEE!

Shadow's eyes grew wide, as he immediately kicked up his feet. Air Shoes flaring, he caused fire to bring him to a skidding halt, less the earth swallow him whole. At the same time, Rouge's wings opened wide, bringing her to a halt as well. The earth before them split open, revealing a gash in the planet. Staring down, the resonating heat of flames brushed alongside their faces, with lava being visible far deeper in the pit.

GGGRRRRRRRUUUUUMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBBBLLLEEEE!

Shadow and Rouge stared up as the second sound triggered, watching as various rock-formations began to slide in different directions. All before them, Hill Top Zone began to slide and move around, as the plate tectonics they rested upon began to shift in various directions. As new cracks were formed, bottomless pits formed too. Other crevices gained bowls of lava deep inside, with the threat of more appearing becoming all the more apparent, as the earth continued to quake.

"This is one of those things the planet throws at you because it doesn't want you snaking around their zones," Rouge commented as she stared deeper down into Hill Top, "Now what Shadow?"

RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Shadow's eyes slid into a squint, as he stared into the lava pit before them. He noticed the lava growing in a dome shape, as it began to bubble and rise. A beast eventually rose out of the lava; something long and purple. It's neck, comprised mainly of spheres which would allow it to turn on any axis it so pleased. It's head, slender and saurian in nature, with two large eyes glaring down upon the mobians standing before it.

On the side of its neck written in bold white letters sat the name 'REXON'.

"Oh my..." Rouge said as she stared upon it, "Aren't... dinosaurs extinct though?"

"Badnik..." he growled back, staring at the mighty machine as it's jaw flared with heat.

The Badnik opened it's mouth, while the lights within began to glow. Shadow got ready, just as it fired off a beam of pure energy at him. The two mobians quickly scattered, dodging the blasts as they blurred into twin dashes of white and black. Shadow suddenly appeared at its side, charging up a Chaos Spear he lobbed at the Badnik. His strike met it's target, causing the Badnik to bounce back just a bit. When it looked back, Rouge's foot suddenly slammed upon its head. The strike caused the Badnik to fly down, while she hovered above with flapping wings.

However, Rexon was not defeated. The Badnik's head stretched back up as it looked down to its foes, Rouge and Shadow staring back as it charged up yet another attack. Rexon's eyes suddenly gleamed, as it rained down upon them another beam.

"Shadow!?" Rouge shouted as they dodged it's storm of destruction.

"You know the deal, Rouge," he answered as he zipped left and right, "Together!"

He suddenly dashed into the air, with her following close behind. Together, the two mobian's slammed into Rexon's head, their strikes causing immense damage. The dented head of the beast caused it to howl in pain, before it's head suddenly exploded. The metallic balls keeping it together also detonated as well, leaving the beast as nothing but it's hide floating in the lava.

"Well now," Rouge said as she looked at the Badnik's remaining carcass, "I don't understand how anything – be it robot or living – can stand something as hot as lava."

"It's not as bad as you think," Shadow answered as he walked up, "Have you ever been to a place called Marble Zone? It's on South Island; a zone with ruins that sit on top of lava. How it got there is anyone's guess... hm..." he smiled a bit, before it transformed back into that usual indifferent glare, "We're not done yet..."

"What are you talking about?" Rouge inquired, to which Shadow answered with a point.

She looked into said direction, where in which she saw nothing but the heads of various other Rexon's, all of which were rising out of pits of lava. There was at least one for every pit, and there had to be a ton of pits. When Rouge saw it, her eyes went wide with shock, while Shadow merely uncrossed his arms.

"This shouldn't take too long," Shadow stated as he walked forward, cracking his knuckles as he did so, "I kinda need to unleash anyway."

"Hey, hey, hey now, Shadow!" Rouge shouted as she followed, "Let's not get hasty!"

…

She lingered behind, her hands to herself, her eyes gazing out the window. This woman in a blue haze, who's entire body could be walked through. She was both real and unreal; a faux image of what life should be. A hologram, created merely to mimic human life, but specifically her life.

She often wondered about who she was, really. Just a digital representation of a woman named 'Maria', or was she something more? This kind of thinking process existed among all of the doctor's creations; she was know different. For some reason, certain Badniks had the funny issue of gaining souls somehow. Why did they do this, know one knows.

Sometimes, when she powers down, she dreams. She starts seeing images of and sights of place she's never seen before. Seeing space in a light no human being has ever seen. She remembers a place with cold industrial halls stretching on near endlessly. She has know idea what this place is, because it looks so unlike any base she's been in before. She also remembers seeing this mobian, who looks ever so familiar.

But she can't put her finger on who he is.

"Ah, Maria," Ivo's voice echoed as he walked up behind the fake woman, making her turn to face him, "What's wrong this evening? You rarely appear without wishing to tell me something."

"Dr. Robotnik," she responded smiling a bit, "It's just that. The Rexon unit in Hill Top Zone has recently stopped responding. I'm beginning to believe Rouge the bat and Shadow the hedgehog are the ones who have caused this."

"I see..." he stated, "How's the location process on the next Chaos Emerald going?"

"We almost have it," Maria said as she swiped her hand through the air with a victorious swing, "At this rate, Shadow the hedgehog won't matter! We'll have another Chaos Emerald before the nights over!"

"That's lovely, Maria! Simply lovely!" he said with a laugh, before walking back down the hall, "I'm am returning to the building hall. Do not bother me unless it is information pertaining to either the collection of a Chaos Emerald, or the death of Shadow the hedgehog."

"Yes, Dr. Robotnik," Maria answered, giving a courteous bow before suddenly vanishing.

Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1.

…

Shadow tossed the Rexon head up and down, being leisurely in his actions as he sat on a rock formation. The quakes and tremors that plagued Hill Top Zone had come to a stop, giving them a moment of piece among all the hysteria. At this point, he thought about reciting a moment of Shakespearean quotation. But he decided against it, as he instead tossed the Badnik's head up and away.

"Ow, ow, ow," the bat grunted as she pulled her foot out of the mouth of a Rexon, "How does Robotnik make all these things? Seriously, how does he even get the money to make them!"

"A lot of Dr. Robotnik's lesser creations are a hit with humans," Shadow answered as he started walking off, "He gets money by selling them, which must be a lot considering how many Badniks he pumps out upon us mobians..."

"I've lent my talents to a lot of employers over the years, and yet of all the money I've gained, I could only afford a swanky casino in Night Babylon Zone..." the bat stated, before she thought on her statement, "Actually, that's okay by me. I have no need for an army of destruction. Huh?"

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

"Shadow..."

"Do you feel that?"

"A CHAOS EMERALD!" they stated in unison.

"Good, so you did feel it!" the bat stated as Shadow walked forward, arms uncrossing as he eyed the ground, "But where is it?"

"It's deeper inside of the zone," Shadow stated, eventually coming to a stop as he eyed the crevice directly before them, "Far deeper inside the zone that you may suspect..."

"Like... underground kind of deep?" the bat inquired, teal eyes growing wide.

"Yes... underground..." the hedgehog stated as he jumped inside the pit, making Rouge roll her eyes, before she too flew inside the pit.

Shadow landed in an underground cavern, barely able to see with such little visible lights. Withdrawing his Chaos Emerald, he used its light to illuminate his way. He walked into the cave before him, staring around as he used the Emeralds magnetic attraction to bring him closer to the next Emerald. Rouge eventually joined him, her teal eyes glowing as she stared through the darkness.

GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRUUUUUUUUMMMMMMBBBBLEEEEEEEE!

"Oh damn..."

Rocks began to fall upon them, while the temperature in the area suddenly jumped to great levels. The air grew thin, which choked the two mobians and caused them to cough. Shadow growled through his asphyxiation, whilst pushing forward through the cave. Rouge did likewise, though her's came with less of a growl. Staring up toward the cave's exit, an eerie glow was in the distance. Coming out the other end of the cave, Shadow nearly slipped upon the suspiciously wet ground. Gazing over the next cliff, he saw what caused the glow from before.

Lava. Pouring and bubbling lava, steadily crawling up the walls as the earthquake caused the volcano to become active. Shadow covered his nose and coughed some more, before looking up toward the volcano's ceiling. There didn't appear to be any good way of escaping, other than going back the way they came. But that was no longer a choice.

When turning around, the cave they just entered through suddenly crumbled. Rocks blocked their entrance, trapping them inside with burning hot magma slowly climbing up to claim them. Shadow stared around to the various rock formations that stood through the lava, realizing their only escape was to constantly climb up.

Well for him anyway.

"Shadow!" Rouge shouted as she flew overhead, making him watch as she pointed toward the other end of the wall, "There's an exit over there! It's our only escape."

"A little help would be nice!" he replied as he threw up his hand.

"What!? Can't you jump over that!?"

"ROUGE!"

"Ugh! Fine!"

She swooped down and grabbed his hand, hooking them together while her wings flapped. Taking to the air, she flew over the lava which constantly climbed after them. It's speed seemed to be increasing, as if it were sentient and trying to kill them. Rouge continued flapping her wings and moving higher. The lava continued to climb and destroy however, before they faced the exit they sought.

There was something sentient about it. There was something living inside that lava. Well, maybe living is kind of a stretch. But there was definitely something inside the lava, something making it rise after them. While the Chaos Emerald may have helped, this machination is what wanted them dead.

It aimed its sights on the mobians, barely showing itself. Instead, what came out of the lava was a slender silver gun, attached to a series of spheres; much like the neck of a Rexon. The gun put sights on Rouge and Shadow.

PEW!

"AUFF!?"

Her wing marred by a sudden shot which struck her with precise aim. When they were only a few yards away from the cave's exit, the two mobians crashed to the ground and tumbled. Shadow quickly recoiled after shaking his head, only to crawl over and shake Rouge who was writhing in pain.

"Rouge, Rouge! Are you okay?"

"Ah!? My wing!" she replied as she rubbed it, trying to soothe the burning pain ricocheting through her limb, "Shadow! It burns! It really, really, really burns!"

PEW! PEW! PEW! POW! POW! POW!

The small area they stood on was suddenly assaulted by laser fire, which caused rocks to fly all around them. The small explosions triggered by the laser strikes weakened the ground's structure, threatening to break under their feet. Shadow scooped Rouge up into his arms before he stood on the ground's edge, looking down to the lava, he saw the laser gun which shot at them. It quickly descended back into the magma, hiding from them. Growling, he quickly spun around and ran for the exit.

Shadow cleared the distance in one mighty jump, one he nearly missed with Rouge in his arms. Air Shoes flaring, he skated down the halls toward the exit to put as much distance between himself and the lava as he could. The burning heat in the air grew lighter as they passed, making things far more bearable. Shadow quickly escaped the caves, coming back out onto Hill Top's surface, and allowing the fresh winds to cool him down.

So wonderful.

"Ouch!? Shadow!?" Rouge cried as the two crashed into the earth.

"Huff... huff... huff..." he replied as he gasped for breath, "I didn't expect it to feel so good..." then a small smile, "Are you okay, Rouge?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," she answered as she got on her knees, tending to her bruised wing, "Ah... it still hurts... OW! OW! OW! I said it still hurts!"

Shadow stared at her, eyes sliding down while his hand tended to her wings. She grew silent, only giving an audible 'EEP!' when his hand touched her bruise. She suddenly felt something warm and soothing being wrapped around her wing, making her grow slightly calm. Looking over to Shadow, she was actually quite surprised to see he was wrapping her wing in coils.

"Shadow... where'd you get that from?" she asked.

"I've had it for a while now," he answered as he finally stopped, "Believe it or not, but I tend to get hurt a bit on these adventures... it's good to have around..." his face grew somewhat hard as he looked at her, "Don't take this the wrong way. I'm helping you because you've helped me so much on this quest."

"Dammit Shadow," Rouge said, "For a change, can't you just be a good friend and say 'I'm helping you because I care for you, Rouge' or – since I know you'd never say that – 'I'm helping you because you're my friend, Rouge'. But, hey..." she gave a sweet wink at him, "At least I know you're just trying to be hard. You don't have to lie to me."

He rolled his eyes. But he did not defend himself against her statement.

"How long do you think you're wing's going to be out of commission?" he asked as they both finally stood.

"Not too long," Rouge said as she folded in her injured wing, "Surprise or not, I tend to get hit quite a bit on my adventures. This – while it hurts – is nothing for me to be afraid of..." she then walked pass the hedgehog, and gave him a gentle kiss on the cheeks, "It's a sweet gesture nonetheless..."

Shadow flinched a bit due to her statement, being frozen from the kiss as well. Such sultry antics was the norm for Rouge, but she never did that before. He rubbed his cheek, coming to the steady realization that the only woman who had kissed him before was his mother. How weird.

"Shadow! I see it!" Rouge suddenly called, causing Shadow to increase the speed in his walk.

Over the next rocky valley laid a pool of lava, and in the center of this lava pool lay a rock formation jutting out. Sitting on this formation, the light blue Chaos Emerald. It gleamed in the sunlight, despite being surrounded by burning death.

"Shadow, I can't fly," Rouge stated, "Go! Go! Warp to it and grab it!"

"Don't have to tell me twice," he said as he withdrew his green Chaos Emerald.

He was just about to warp, calling upon his amazing powers to leap over to the formation. But right before he did, he noticed something. Pulling out the lava was a tendril with a gun at the end. He saw it at just the right moment, where in which he vanished with Rouge pulled along with him.

PEW! POW!

The two landed on another rock formation in the lava bowl, where in which their eyes fell upon the lava. The laser cannon that fired at them destroyed the land formation, sending rocks flying in all directions. With that one destroyed, the lava gun descended back into the lava.

The lava began to dome an rise, sliding apart as a machine rose at the same level. A submarine looking machine, with the same silver dome as the other machines they had faced during their quest. Another Egg Mobile unit. The Egg Mobile-S, to be exact.

'S' stands for 'submarine' by the way. Created from the hardest alloy on the planet, Megatal, the Egg Mobile-S is capable of withstanding the hardest pressures of the deepest valleys. And, if you hadn't noticed, lava doesn't mean much to it as well. Despite being small, there are already plans of creating an entire fleet of Egg Mobile-S, all of which forged from Megatal.

If the good doctor can find anymore of it, that is.

"Another Egg Mobile," Shadow stated, fingers charging with Chaos Powers, "I'm getting annoyed with these drones. Chaos Spear!"

He fired it at the Egg Mobile-S, hitting it on the mark. The blast was reflected, however the machine descended into the lava. Shadow stared around the bowl fervently, waiting for the Egg Mobile-S to show itself. Instead, lava plumed from where it dove, causing it to fly sky-high. Scooping Rouge into his arms, Shadow leaped for another rock formation, dodging the lava just barely. He landed safely as the earlier rock-formation was covered in lava and flames. The Egg Mobile-S suddenly submerged, rising with its gun aimed at the two mobians.

PEW! PEW! PEW! POW! POW! POW!

Shadow dodged each shot with Rouge in his arms, though the same could not be said for the earth beneath his feet. Shattered into pieces, he leaped for another formation, while the Egg Mobile-S lowered into the lava.

"This is getting us nowhere!" Rouge stated, "Shadow! Do one of your crazy powerful things you normally do! Like Chaos Blast or... or... the Chaos Ball from earlier!"

"Not gonna happen," he replied as he looked at her, "If I do something too strong, I can offset the balance of this volcano. The lava would either kill us, or take the Emerald. I can't let either of those things happen."

"If you don't do something soon, that thing is going to kill us," Rouge stated, "And, knowing you, running is definitely out of the question!"

"You're damn right..."

Lava plumed again, as the Egg Mobile-S rose to challenge them once more. Turret aimed at the two mobians, it fired another spray of lasers their way. Growing annoyed by the situation, Shadow threw Rouge sky high. She wailed from surprised, while the Black Wind leaped up even higher than her. Curling around, his body was suddenly surrounded in a glowing yellow light, one he used to dash directly toward the Egg Mobile-S. He slammed it on the head, knocking the machine into the lava, and using it to spring back upon safe land.

"OW! Dammit Shadow, stop doing that!" the bat yelled while he turned to face the Egg Mobile-S.

He ignored her. Instead, his eyes fell down upon the Egg Mobile-S, which was beginning to rise once again. Hands woven into fists, he challenged the machine as it aimed its laser cannon his way. His body began surging with power, while the cannon's laser starting charging; something it hadn't exhibited before.

"Chaaaoooos..." the Black Wind growled as he charged his attack.

PEEERRRRRR! The Egg Mobile-S' cannon howled.

"BURST!"

He threw out his hands, causing a multicolored orb to surround his body. The Egg Mobile-S's laser struck his shield, only to be rebuffed by superior power. His counter reflected the Egg Mobile-S's beam, sending it back to the powerful machination. While the laser was surely strong enough to destroy most machines, the powerful mobian ally of megatal easily withstood the strike. The attack sure did hurt, however.

Shadow's Chaos Burst steadily died down, while he took deep breaths. The Egg Mobile-S descended back into the lava, hiding itself as it recoiled form Shadow's strike. He eyed the lava closely, wondering what to do in order to best the beast. It was made of the toughest metal known to his people, and backed by an ingenious mind who wanted him dead. Not to mention the lava which could destroy anything.

Had the lava not been there, Shadow as sure he would've destroyed the Egg Mobile-S with little to no effort.

He looked down to his wrists, wondering if he should take the risk. Around his wrists lay two rings that – when removed – easily increased his powers by an unspecified amount. The only drawback? It would drain him of any and all energy for quite some time. Was it a risk he was willing to take?

No. There was another way.

"Rouge! Toss me the blue Chaos Emerald!"

"What!? No! It's mine! I got it fair and square!"

"If you don't give it to me, Rouge, we will die!" he responded as the Egg Mobile-S rose to challenge them once more.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit!" the bat shouted back as she pulled out the Chaos Emerald, "Here! And give it back or else I'll make you wish it was you down in that lava!"

She used her surprisingly strong upper-body strength to throw the Emerald Shadow's way, where in which he caught it. Focusing on its powers, he caused the red and green Chaos Emeralds to fly and float around him. Breathing deeply, the hedgehog focused on the powers of the three magical stones hovering around them.

"You may be indestructible, I'll admit that," Shadow stated as he formed the strongest Chaos Spear he could thus far, "But not even you can withstand the might of three Chaos Emeralds! CHAOS SPEAR!"

With might force, he thrust his hand forward, sending a deadly beam of energy the Egg Mobile-S's way. His attack collided with the machine, triggering an explosion that destroyed the beast. Lava flew up high, where it began to rain down upon the area. Shadow was actually stunned; he didn't mean to put that much strength into his blast. He pulled back as glared at the enemy, watching as his blast continued and destroyed a good bit of the volcano's side. Lava poured through the side, causing the volcano to leak all of Hill Top Zone. The oversight in his attack caused the plates to shift once more, while the land began to crack and break beneath their feet.

"The Chaos Emerald," the Black Wind called as he looked at the stone, leaping to grasp it.

The light blue Chaos Emerald was right there, right in his grasp. He was about to grab it, to hold it, to touch it. But before he could do so, something metallic flew right past him.

DONG!

It struck his head, knocking him clear unconscious with its blow.

We need to give them a chance to be happy.

Shadow...

"Huh... m-m-mom...?"

Shadow...

"SHADOW!"

Shadow. Wake up and eat your dinner. Or else your father's going to eat it all.

And I will!

Jules! Stop being so immature!

Mffff... now this is some good cooking...

Ugh... Jules... Shadow, wake up honey. Dinner's ready. Shadow. Shadow. Yoo-hoo, Shadow deary, wake up.

Wake up, Shadow.

Wake up! Wake up!

Grandpa's got things to do with you today, Shadow!

Your father is being a dummy, Shadow!

Shadow!

Shadow!

Shadow!

Shadow!

Mom.

Maria.

Mom.

Maria.

Mom.

Maria.

Mom.

Maria.

"Mom..." the hedgehog suddenly said, pulling up with a throbbing headache.

The quick movement didn't do well for the powerful pain, shooting through his head. It was like a thousand mallets being swung at his head at the same time, and it forced him back down. He gripped his head accordingly, grunted and groaned, not paying attention to the land around him. It wasn't until a hand fell on his shoulder, did he come to terms with things around him.

It was night. There was a fire. And it appeared to be Hill Top Zone. He groaned as he rubbed his head, while that hand on his shoulder rubbed as well. He turned to the person who soothed his pain, his eyes meeting those of a teal eyed bat.

"Mom, huh?" the bat said, "Uh... Shadow, I think you're a tad bit wrong there."

"Rouge..." he said, before wincing once again.

"Hey, take it easy now. You took a pretty bad strike to the head earlier and nearly fell into lava. I think you need to rest a bit," she smiled warmly as she rubbed his head, making him turn slightly away, "Awww... poor Superman."

"Rouge... not now..." Shadow grunted, eyes closing as he looked off. Suddenly his eyes shot open, as realized something, "The Chaos Emerald! Rouge, did we get it?"

Rouge cocked her head at him, giving this face that calmed him down. But ultimately, she shook her head in a 'no' manner.

"No, Shadow, we did not," the bat answered, "I could've saved either you, or the Emerald. And – to be brutally honest – I did think about snatching the Emerald for myself. It was so beautiful. But, no, I made sure to whisk you away before that lava could kill you."

"Where did the Emerald go?"

"Is it all that hard to tell?" Rouge inquired with a slight hand gesture, "Dr. Robotnik has it. That Egg Mobile whatever swooped in out of nowhere and took it. It was the same one you destroyed, but its central unit was still intact. It just took the Emerald while I was busy saving your but."

Shadow nodded at the statement, his arms crossed as he looked away. Taking a deep breath, he found himself feeling quite belittled by the situation.

"Rouge..." he mumbled, "You should've let me die..."

"Ugh, now what are you going on about?" she asked, growing annoyed with his statement, "You are far too serious Shadow."

"With every Emerald Robotnik collects, the more powerful he becomes... I can't allow that to happen..."

"So what?" she asked, making her partner look over at her, "Shadow, Robotnik can get as many of those rocks as he wants. That doesn't mean he'll win. You said it yourself; Robotnik had almost every Emerald in South Island, save for the one you had. And what did you do? Take them back and free the island! Honestly, I think you hit your head a tad bit too much. You're being too hard on yourself..."

He crossed his arms and looked down, feeling less than powerful thanks to the situation. Honestly, this whole quest had so far proven to be ten-times harder than his last venture. Dr. Robotnik really did learn from their last bout, and despite all that training Shadow did himself, it was proving to not be enough. If not for Rouge, it was a wonder if he'd pass Emerald Hill Zone.

"Shadow..." Rouge called, "If it were me who was knocked out. And you had to choose between the Emerald or myself... who would you save then?"

He looked at her, long and hard, before looking off into the distance. Suddenly groaning, the hedgehog laid back with his arms behind his head.

"I'm not about to let someone else die thanks to my stupid vendetta against the doctor," he stated, "I don't care if it is an Emerald or anything. I'm not about to let you or anyone die..."

"You know, Shadow, what you were supposed to say was 'I'd always save you, Rouge'. Ya'know, to make a girl feel kinda needed and to make it a tad bit more personal."

"Yeah... personal..." he answered, eyes closing a bit, "Rouge..."

"Yes..."

"Thanks... for everything..."

"You bet your ass."

…

POP! POP! FIISSSSSHHHHHH!

"Ah-ha! Wonderful! Wonderful!"

The digital bottle of champagne in her hands fizzed with just as much digital foam to make it disturbing. On the other hand, real fizz from a champagne bottle spurted all over the desk. The two people in the area celebrated a momentous victory. Well, at least one of them.

The usually dark and dismal room was bright and lit up this evening, thanks to the small party going on beneath. After all, it's not everyday one gains one of the legendary seven Chaos Emeralds.

"Ah! The Egg Mobile-S did it's job wonderfully!" said the digital beauty as she poured herself a glass of champagne, "Such a shame it didn't kill Shadow, but the Chaos Emerald greatly makes up for it."

"Indeed Maria," the doctor replied, a smile upon his face, "I must say, this went far better than I could ever thought!"

He rose his champagne glass to clash with hers, but with her being a hologram and such, it was more a gesture than an action. Now, not only did they have the purple Chaos Emerald, but now the light blue Chaos Emerald lay within their hands. The doctor's desk held the two mystical stones of power within specifically placed containers. The two stones were shining brilliantly within their containment units, being on full display for everyone to see.

"It's a shame the Egg Mobile-S had to fall in battle," Maria stated, before taking yet another sip of her champagne.

"I wouldn't call it that much of a failure," Robotnik claimed, a smile on his face, "While it's a shame the Egg Mobile-S was destroyed, the knowledge I gained from the fight has provided me with ample information for an upgrade to the Egg Mobile!'

"An Egg Mobile-S Mark II, perhaps?" Maria asked with a giggle, barely containing her excitement.

"Indeed Maria! But enough about that," he smiled dementedly while his eyes fell upon the stones before him on the desk, "Tonight, Maria, we simply live..." he rose a finger, where in which he pressed a button on his armrest, "Tonight, we live."


	8. Wacky Woods Zone

Wacky Woods Zone

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

One after another, explosions riddled the forest's floor. Steel and iron was tossed in all directions while the body that held it all together detonated. One by one, many machines went off into smoke and haze, while they were torn through like paper.

"Now this is more like it!" Shadow exclaimed as he pulled his fist back, smiling devilishly toward the many Badniks that arrived to face him.

"What is it with you boys and... ERRAGH! FIGHTING!?"

Rouge's kick slammed into the head of the Badnik before her, causing it to explode in a fiery doom. She flew back with wings flapping, all the while Shadow fired off Chaos Spears to destroy more Badniks in the area.

Shadow and Rouge have entered Wood Zone.

All around them, trees stood as high as skyscrapers. The blue sky and warm sun went covered by the canopies above them, constricting anyone's view of them. However, it was what lay below that really mattered. Wood Zone's forests were known region-wide by the islands of North, South, and East Side. But here they were, being desecrated by Robotnik's Badniks.

They were armed with whirring saw-blades that severed trees by their trunks. Many trees had already been claimed by the deforestation project, though many still stood tall. However – with Rouge and Shadow in the Zone – it didn't look like the program was going to be completed any time soon. Or ever for that matter.

"No! No! No! Stop it! You idiots!" Robotnik shouted.

His fist suddenly slammed down upon his desk as he watched the carnage in his office. The holographic image given to him showed the two mobians destroy yet another band of Badniks he created. The Wood Zone Badniks were created specifically with the purpose of tearing down trees, and despite the fact that they were armed to the teeth with high-end weaponry, they weren't meant for combat operations. Those powerful machine guns weren't going to hit the Black Wind and his comrade, no matter how much they tried.

"What is wrong, Dr. Robotnik?" Maria's voice chimed in as she appeared from virtually nowhere.

"Shadow and Rouge have entered Wood Zone..." he grumbled as he looked up to the faux-woman, "They are ruining everything Maria! The number of Badniks in Wood Zone is steadily dwindling! At this rate, I'll never find Mystic Cave Zone!"

Robotnik growled some more, especially as Shadow performed a spin dash to tear through a Badnik. His fist slammed down upon his desk, causing it to glitch, while he grumbled. Mystic Cave Zone was very important to his operation. If his scans were right – and they always were – then a Chaos Emerald existed within the old abandoned cave. But it was more to it than just one Chaos Emerald.

The strongest point of Chaos activity existed within Mystic Cave Zone itself. He didn't know what caused it, but knew he had to have it.

"Maria!" he suddenly shouted, causing her to jump slightly, "Send the Egg Mobile-SB to deal with Shadow and Rouge. I don't intend on it actually killing them, though that would be some good news to all this nonsense..." he leaned back into his chair, seemingly calming down, while his eyes gleamed a powerful red, "I don't want them discovering Mystic Cave Zone, do you understand?"

"Yes, Dr. Robotnik..." Maria said as she gave a bow, vanishing soon after.

…

The world of digital space was what she was used too. Many people don't know this, but inside of all the computers, all the devices, all the electronics, there lays a world. A world that is created by the very same devices, and who owns them. It was in this world where she held a body. A real and actual body. One with fingers, hair, eyes, skin, and a beating life. Though, even she was smart enough to know this body wasn't actually real. Not fully. She couldn't touch real people, only the data they leave behind. What's the point of having a body if you can't interact with others?

These worlds can be forcibly made by the creators, but if you don't know this place exists, then how can you change it? That's how she felt. The world she lived in was somewhat depressing. It was cold, merciless, and flowing endlessly with robots created to destroy the world. The mainframe of Eggman Inc. wasn't the kind of place she liked. She had emotions, as ironic as that is to say. She even had memories.

Memories of starlit nights, and a large beautiful blue sphere.

She even had hopes. She wanted to – some day – not live inside the cold confines of zeroes and ones. She wanted to live in a world with the wind blowing into her face, a world where she could experience waters and grass like a living human. But she couldn't get that blessing. Not so long as he lived. Not so long as her cousin was bothered constant by his most hated enemy.

So long as Shadow the hedgehog exists, her dream of having a real body will never come through fruition. That insufferable mobian; she hated him just as much as Robotnik did! And she would show it. She would show just how much she detested Shadow, and how embedded to the Robotnik cause she was.

Maria came to a halt, as she hovered through cyberspace. There was a light before her, one red and blinking. Getting closer to the light revealed itself as a lens of some sort. Gazing through the lens, she could see something on the other end. She watched as the blades of a saw tore into trees. Lifting her fingers, Maria placed it upon the panel that stood directly before the light.

"Eraah...!" she grunted, feeling as green digital lines connected with her body.

She shivered and groaned in pain, biting her lip down hard to focus on something else. So much information was uploaded into her mind, as she downloaded information into the machine itself. Her breathing jumped up a few notches as she and the machine traded data. But soon those pants for breath became laughter, while her blue eyes turned a dangerous red.

Maria was now in control of the Egg Mobile-SB.

…

"Hmph... what pieces of trash..." Shadow grumbled, rolling his eyes whilst tossing a Badnik's head up and down, "I don't even know why we bother anymore..."

"That's what I've been saying since the very beginning!" Rouge practically roared at Shadow's statement, "Why are we even bothering with any of this? Why don't we just go ahead and find the Hidden Palace Zone, and be done with it."

"It's never that easy, Rouge..." Shadow said, finger wagging in a cocky manner, "You should know that by now..."

He dropped the Badnik's head before crossing his arms in their usual fashion. Rouge groaned with annoyance toward his actions, before following him closely behind. Wood Zone's large and luscious forests were marred, but not destroyed. With time, they would get better, that's for sure. He'd make sure they'd get the chance to grow forever, once he permanently got rid of a certain dictator.

Wood Zone was also unusually silent. There seemed to be a lack of life inside, though this wasn't uncommon. Compared to the last few zones they traveled through, this appeared to be par for the norm. West Side Island was just as dead and silent as South Island was during his last quest to defeat Eggman.

But what made it worse was how familiar Wood Zone was to the hedgehog. Walking around Wood Zone, it felt like his own home. Not the one he has on South Island, instead the old one he remembered growing up in with his parents. The trees appeared to have villages and homes carved out into them, reminding him of his youth. He could even see it now; mother and father, yelling at one another.

And by 'yelling at one another', instead having his mother yell at her father who just sits there and takes it. He had quickly taught him a valuable lesson. It's better to let a woman think she's won a fight, even if she really hasn't.

Words to live by.

"Shadow, what is going on with you?" Rouge inquired as he snapped out of his trance, "You were all... mind warped and stuff..."

"No I wasn't..." he replied, looking over to her as he said so.

"Yes you were..."

"No I..." then he stopped, and remembered his father's words, "Uh... yeah..." he then stated, gazing forward again, "I guess I kinda was..."

"Not 'I guess'," Rouge stated, "You were! And..." her ears suddenly twitched, "And..." she looked up, going somewhat wide-eyed while Shadow took notice, "And... hey, Shadow... do you hear that?"

"Hear what?"

"That..."

She pointed to the tree's canopies, taking note of something that Shadow couldn't see. For a moment, he thought Rouge had lost his mind. He shifted his hands to his waist, planted them there, then gave a curt and very audible 'hmm'.

But then a very noticeable sound echoed out.

CRRRRRRREEEERAAAAACCCHHHH! Yeah. That's what it sounded like.

Shadow jumped back, eyes wide with shock, while he and Rouge stared up. Surrounding them immediately, various trees were breaking apart. The noise of severing wood and splinters shooting out echoed all around, causing Shadow to grab Rouge's hand. He immediately boosted forward at amazing speeds, his body being covered by a golden-yellow light. The trees were so large, a full minute of dashing did nothing as they continued to fall all around them.

What's worse, the trees appeared to follow them. AS they fell one by one, they constantly course corrected themselves to aim at them and them alone. Shadow took note of this, as he immediately dashed back. He'd random stand on the fallen helms of other trees than to cause more to fall.

"Shadow!" Rouge shouted as he came to a stop, "What are you doing!? The trees!"

"I know..." he stated as he withdrew a Chaos Emerald, watching as one tree fell directly toward them, "I have no doubt in my mind one of Robotnik's Badniks are causing this. I'm going to stop it..." his Chaos Emerald rose higher, "CHAOS CONTROL!"

Just in the nick of time, he and Rouge vanished into thin air. The tree fell on them, causing a loud pounding sound to echo throughout the entire zone. When it was all said and done, everything grew silent. With there no longer being a target to hit, the trees stopped falling. And only a few minutes later, the culprit revealed itself.

Floating to the very center of the carnage was a hovering being. Dome-shaped, it hovered in the air with powerful thrusters. It looked incredibly similar to the Egg Mobile-T Robotnik piloted in Aquatic Ruins Zone. The main difference was both subtle and jarring.

Instead of holding a great Hammer – like The Egg Mobile-D – this new Egg Mobile model held a great saw blade. A disk shaped one that spun around endlessly and without enough speed and power to tear the strongest objects in half. It's easy to say the 'SB' in Egg Mobile-SB stands for 'saw blade'. Powerful on its own, the Egg Mobile-SB could do the entire job of one hundred saw mills in a relatively short time-period. When sent out to the forests to create more lumber, expect the forest to be gone within only a day. Speaks true to the Wood Zone's size seeing as it was still standing.

The Egg Mobile-SB hovered around constantly, searching for its targets. To its confusion, the two mobians appeared to have become nothing. One would see this as a blessing, but not this high-class Badnik. It knew it's enemies were around here somewhere. Little did it know just how close they were.

"And! Now!"

POW! POW!

In rapid succession, two beings struck the head of the Egg Mobile-SB with amazing power and speed. The dual pounces were enough to push the machine down, before they gracefully leaped away to escape. They landed together, revealing themselves to be a certain hedgehog and bat.

"I knew it," Shadow stated as he clenched his fists, growling at the Egg Mobile before them, "Another one of Robotnik's Egg Mobiles..."

"Actually, I'm surprised," Rouge said as she crossed her arms, looking at the Egg Mobile with acute surprise, "This is the first time we've faced one so early..."

"Which means it will be the first time we destroyed one so early!" Shadow stated, fingers cackling with Chaos powers.

…

"Maria! Maria! Where are you!?" Robotnik shouted, glaring around with eyes crimson.

She didn't heed his call. That never happens. Whenever Robotnik calls for her – no matter how low – she appears almost immediately. But this time, it seemed as if she couldn't even hear him. Robontik didn't show fear however. Instead, he prodded his fingers after a few minutes of not-Maria around him.

"Ugh..." he growled, glaring back at his holographic image of Wood Zone, "You better not have done what I think you've done..." currently, Shadow and Rouge were fighting the Egg Mobile-SB, "You know what happens when you glitch Maria..."

Shadow and Rouge have passed act 2.

…

"Chaos Spear!" Shadow roared.

The Black Wind's hands were placed together, palms aimed toward the hovering machine of destruction. From his palms, various bolts of Chaos Spears were fired, slamming into the Egg Mobile-SB's body. To his surprise, the Egg Mobile-SB was actually being pushed back. Unlike the last few Egg Mobiles which deflected his Chaos Spears, even fully charged ones, this one was actually injured by it.

That's not to say it was defeated with ease. The Egg Mobile-SB constantly fought back, swinging it's blade around to deflected by Chaos Spears with as much ease as it could.

"Rouge, can you get in on it?" Shadow asked, his Chaos Spear volley loosening up a bit.

"I'd like to try," she replied, "But let's be honest; there's no way I'm getting close to that blade! If it an cut through trees with great ease, think of what it could do to my body!"

"Fine then!" the Black Wind retorted, suddenly stopping his volley as he placed one hand's back to the other hand's palm, "I'll just hit it with the strongest Chaos Spear I got! That should work!"

His body began to exert yellow energy, while the earth shook beneath his feet. The Egg Mobile-SB began to steadily approach him, blade at the ready. The red optic that was it's eye suddenly spun around to face the hedgehog, while it approached them slowly.

"Chaos!" he growled, "SPEAR!"

He fired his blast, sending it curling toward the Egg Mobile-SB. It pulled back just in time to save itself form sure destruction, though Shadow's attack slammed into the saw blade's joints. The attack destroyed it, sending the blade flying off due to the force. Shadow, upon seeing it coming, merely stepped to one side. The blade kept going however, flying toward Rogue.

"EYAH!?"

She ran back, tripped, then fell down in her adrenaline fueled escape. The blade came right toward her, forcing her to split her legs in an attempt to not be eviscerated. To her blessed luck, the blade slammed down into the gap of her legs, and got stuck into the earth.

Rouge breathed heavily as she looked at the blade, noticing her reflection in it. When it was clear the saw wasn't going to kill her, she swallowed her spit accordingly.

"Dammit, Shadow!" she then shouted as she got angry, watching as he walked to her.

"Dammit what?" he asked as he gave her his hand.

"Dammit it for that!" she replied, grabbing his hand and helping herself up, "That could've killed me, you know!"

"But it didn't," he retorted, arms crossed, "Don't worry, I was in complete control of everything."

He picked up the blade soon after, staring at his reflection in its perfectly cleaned steel. Raising an eyebrow, he quickly glared at the Egg Mobile that attacked them. Compared to the rest of them, the Egg Mobile-SB was simply under-equipped to handle such a dangerous opponent.

"This is getting ridiculous," Shadow said as he walked to the Egg Mobile-SB, "These games are becoming stupid, Robotnik..." a red aura suddenly exploded around the Black Wind's body, as a charged up an attack in his free hand, "Either you're desperate, or you've finally lost your mind. No matter..." he smiled, "Allow me to send you a message. Chaos! Lance!"

In an attempt to end the Egg Mobile-SB with one last blow, Shadow fired an enhanced Chaos Spear at the machination. The machine didn't even have a chance to escape, for the fast acting attack slammed into its hull. A powerful explosion was triggered, one that shook the very earth. Shadow merely stared into the debris, head shaking in disgust.

But that disgust transformed into surprise, as instead of the fallen carcass of an Egg Mobile, Shadow saw a force-field being generated. It was a light blue color, as well as see-through, and sitting inside was the Egg Mobile-SB. It hovered endlessly, with not a scar or marking on its body.

"Well that's new..." Rouge commented, while Shadow rose an eyebrow.

"You two just never give up!" was their response.

The shrill bark baffled both mobians, who had never heard such a voice before. Shadow and Rouge both got battle ready, while they continued staring up to the Egg Mobile with eyes of utter confusion.

"Di... did that... did that Badnik just talk?" Rouge asked of her ally, "Sh-Shadow?"

"I've... never fought a Badnik that spoke before..." he answered, just as confused as the bat.

"You two keep going and going and going!" the Egg Mobile-SB stated, "I'm getting so sick and tired of you two! Don't you know when to simply give in!?"

What was even more confusing was who spoke. It was the voice of a woman. It was highly distorted and corrupted, but it was a young woman's voice. Rouge knew this; her powerful ears could tell with ease. But for Shadow, that voice was weird. He felt conflicted, really; it was both familiar to him, and distant. He knew he heard it before, but he didn't know where.

But maybe now wasn't the time to worry about such thoughts. Clearly, this Egg Mobile-SB was stronger than he thought it was. Though disarmed, the force-field it projected did not come from any visible area on the machine's body, meaning it was creating the shield from within.

"Dr. Robotnik only wants me to bother you," said the Egg Mobile-SB's strangely feminine voice, "But I will do more than that. I will kill the both of you right here, right now."

"Unlikely..." Shadow replied, before suddenly firing a Chaos Spear at the machine with no warning.

His blast slammed into its shield, vanishing into thin-air while the impact pushed it back.

"As expected..." the Egg Mobile-SB claimed, voice changing in a demented fashion. It dropped a few levels in base, becoming more robotic, "Data claims 'Chaos Spear' is your most basic level Chaos attack, and the one you use most often. Egg Mobile Series 2 were created with the intention of deflecting the attack, in comparison to the Egg Mobile Series 1 of South Island. With my force-field, it will be impossible to penetrate my shields..."

"We'll see about that," Shadow stated as he suddenly couched down.

He suddenly began spinning in place, becoming faster and faster as he did so. After gaining enough inertia, the Black Wind launched himself at the Egg Mobile at sonic speeds. His full-force blow collided with its shielding, causing him to be thrown back by its strength. Shadow was actually quite stunned as he was thrown back, violently bouncing against the earth as he uncurled.

"Ow..." he grunted, before looking back up to the machine.

"The famed, Spin Dash," the Egg Mobile-SB claimed, voice suddenly changing as it became extremely high-pitched and more childish, "You're strike, while powerful enough to destroy lesser Badniks, is not capable of shattering my force-field. With this defense, I am impenetrable."

"Who are you, exactly?" Shadow inquired, eyebrow raised in confusion, "You sound so... familiar..."

"My name is of no importance to you," the Egg Mobile-SB claimed, voice becoming normal mid-sentence, "All that matters is the destruction of Shadow the hedgehog!"

The force-field belonging to the Egg Mobile-SB began to stretch out like tentacles. It grabbed at various forms of lumber and other debris, clenching them and lifting them up high. Shadow and Rouge stared up to the sight together, watching as the Egg Mobile-SB glared at them like a single unblinking eye.

"Today... I will kill the both of you..."

…

His chair came to a sudden halt. His eyes gleamed a burning red as he took in a deep breath. Finger to the bridge of his glasses, he pushed them up as to help his eyesight.

"Maria, Maria, Maria," Robotnik said in disappointment, shaking his head as he stood up from his chair, "Why do you find the need to disappoint me? You're own cousin?"

The room was small. Incredibly small. And yet, despite its size, it held so much inside. Wires were strewn all on the floors, as well as various other machines. Many of these machines were covered and dust, though they were all running constantly. They also held many screens, all of which held various information.

While the dictator walked through, he hovered his hand over a random machine. This caused a piece of paper to print out, as if summoned by his hand wave alone. He picked up the piece of paper which held various lines and other data, then grumbled in amusement.

"I see, I see..." he said before wagging his finger, "Tsk, tsk, tsk, Maria... tsk tsk tsk..."

He walked finally to a black machine that could best be described as a coffin. His fingers lined up and down the machine, before coming to a piece of glass. He wiped the glass clean of the fresh cold air that coated it. Upon cleaning it away, he could see a resting face inside.

The pale skin of a twelve-year-old girl.

"What a glitchy machine you are, Maria..." he said as he shifted attention toward a computer screen, "I've gotta fix you now."

…

RA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA-TA!

A maelstrom of bullets rained upon them, dancing upon the ground in violent spurts. The two mobians darted left and right at sonic speeds, dodging the bullets as best they could. IT wasn't easy actually, especially with how precise it's aim was. The Egg Mobile-SB – though perhaps, Egg Mobile-M would now be a more appropriate name – had pulled in multiple Badniks to help in its mission to kill Shadow and Rouge. The fallen machine's had their guns endlessly fire, even though most of them were already destroyed due their previous bout.

"This is pointless!" Shadow claimed, attempting to destroy some Badniks with a failed Chaos Spear, "That shield is impenetrable!"

"Nothing's impenetrable!" Rouge replied, flying high to dodge attacks as well, "Everything has a weakness, Shadow! That machine included! How would you get through the walls of a place like that!?"

"Your lack of strategy is entertaining," the Egg Mobile-M claimed as it continued to attack them, "Is this how you two normally operated? Screaming and yelling at one another like children? How do you two continue to win in fights you are utterly unprepared for? It speaks well to your tenacity... or luck. This is information we should continue to monitor... if you live to see your next encounter, of course..."

"You are an annoying wretch..." Shadow claimed as he growled, "I'll end this in one blow!"

He parted his legs and hunched down, while his hands stretched out wide. Suddenly, powerful amounts of Chaos energy began to surge between his two palms. While bullets rained down upon him, they were deflected by an aura that took over him. Shadow aimed his two palms toward the Egg Mobile-M, then smiled mischievously.

"Chaos Blast!" he roared before launching a powerful beam of chaotic energy toward the floating death machine.

His beam clashed with the Egg Mobile-M's force-field, where the two entered a power struggle. To Shadow's surprise, his powerful technique couldn't break through the machine's shield. However, his attempt to overpower it created yet another opportunity. The Egg Mobile-M was so occupied stopping his beam, it didn't have enough time to attack either he or Rouge. To which the bat quickly took advantage of.

She hovered near the Egg Mobile-M, flapping her wings to keep her at a safe distance. Hand sliding to her chest, she clenched it while her eyes closed.

"Hah..." she mumbled, as if breathing hard, "Hah... haaaaaaaah. Haaaaaaah! Errrrr... Errrrrr!" Rouge's eyes suddenly grew wide, while her pupils became small, "EERRRRAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHH!"

Her mouth gave way to a mighty shout, one strong enough to send an eerie rumbling through those who heard it. Shadow, upon hearing the scream, quickly stopped his blast as he instead covered his ears. He fell to his knees whilst shouting as well, as if his roar could help force out the roar that hurt him.

On the other end, the Egg Mobile-M found its circuitry to be – shockingly – broken and shattered. The roar did mighty damage to the machine's insides, mainly destroying the circuit board capable of projecting its shield. Because of this, the force-field it projected began to fizzle, before it eventually faded away.

"Error! Error!" the Egg Mobile-M claimed as it failed to keep a continuous hover, "Egg Mobile Series 1 is incapable of withstanding sound strikes! Major damage done to internal systems! Shield down, thrusters failing, converting remaining power to the auto recovery systems."

"Hah... hah... hah... Rouge..." Shadow grunted as he breathed heavily, "Next time you're about to do that... thing... warn me... please?"

"yeah... say that to the girl who just hurt her voice trying to save you..." she said lowly, like a squeaking mouse, "now... puhweeazze... end this..."

"With gusto..."

He walked over to the Egg Mobile-M, watching as it struggled to make an escape with failing engines. The Black Wind opened his palm as he began charging yet another powerful blast.

"Chaos... SPEAR!"

His yellow blast tore straight through the Egg Mobile-M, severing it in half. The sudden detonation caused the entire machine to be engulfed and disintegrated by his powerful attack.

…

"AAARARRRAAAAAGGGGHHH!?"

She felt everything. Every burning feeling that Egg Mobile felt, she felt tenfold. It surged through her head in and out, over and over again. She was forced to feel everything until that machine couldn't process one single thought.

"Get out! Get out!" the woman screamed, before finally tearing her arms out of the machine's control panel.

She glared around into the digital streams of cyberspace, chest raising and lowering at great speeds. It hurt her so much to do such a thing, and was enough to make her wonder why she did such a thing in the first place. Staring down, she gazed at her hands. Well, tried to; half of her arm was made of nothing but zeros and ones.

"Ow!" she grunted, "Ow! Ah!" her head constantly clicked to one side, while her eyes closed, "Ah! It hurts! It hurts! It hurts!" the world around became pitch-black, "It hurts! It hurts... it hurt... it hurts... it hurts..."

"Maria..."

Her eyes opened, and she turned around. Directly behind her lay a pair of red eyes. It stared at her, and she stared back.

"I-I-Ivo?" she answered.

"You've been a bad girl, Maria," Dr. Robotnik's voice rang, "You glitched yet again."

"I... I didn't mean to!" she claimed, before her head clicked rapidly, "I thought – I thought – I thought – I thought-" she ended up repeating endlessly, making the doctor grunt.

"You hear yourself, Maria?" Robotnik inquired, "You are not well. You feel bad..."

"I feel bad..." Maria claimed, clenching her arms as she did so, "I do feel bad – CLICK! - feel bad – CLICK! - feel bad..."

"You need rest, Maria..."

"I need..." her eye suddenly faded, as she too turned to nothing, "Rest..."

…

Robotnik's Log – Maria.

Maria glitched again. This time, however, it appeared to come from nowhere. She didn't show signs of a glitch until today, however this one was sever. She attacked Shadow and Rouge directly, despite my orders not too. I think her connection with the Egg Mobile-SB may have infected her with Badnik, but I'm not entirely sure...

But it's better than the last time. She didn't recognize Shadow upon facing him, and it doesn't appear like he recognized her as well. I plan on updating her AI software to 4.2.2 tonight. Good think I already had it prepared.

End Log.

Robotnik closed his computer screen, shutting it down briefly. Walking over to another machine, he began humming some endless tune, as he started clicking on another keyboard. After finishing whatever it was he was doing, a bar showing an upload process appeared.

"Have a good rest, Maria dear," the dictator said as he walked over to his main chair, sitting upon it, "See you in the morning..."

Pressing a button on his left armrest, the chair ascended into a hole in the ceiling. The hole closed up shortly after.

When 'put to rest' like this, Maria dreams. She see's a sea of stars, stretching on endlessly. And she see's a hedgehog, one with a smile.

Wood Zone completed.

Next stop, Mystic Cave Zone.


	9. Occult Cave Zone

Occult Cave Zone

Shadow hated not knowing things. He hated it when there was an question he didn't know the answer too, or a problem he didn't know how to solve. But he really didn't like it when he failed to know certain things about himself. There was a point in time in the Black Winds' life where he didn't know who – or what – he was. He didn't know if he were Mobian or something more. Sure, he looked like a hedgehog, but the things he was capable of – the things he knew how to do – was anything but natural.

Chaos Control, Chaos Spear, Chaos Blast, just to name a few; what were they? What were these powers he held flowing within his veins? Why could he manipulate time and space? Why was he so much stronger around a Chaos Emerald? Just who – or what – was he!?

"Shadow..." her sultry voice called, "You okay?"

After facing off against the machine in Wood Zone, Shadow felt a faint voice calling out to him. There was something about that talking machine that was so familiar. Like he had heard it's feminine voice before, but sometime years ago. Maybe even more. It wasn't a bad voice. Quite kind, nice, sweet, and warm. Though the way the machine used it, one could be easily confused for something else.

"I'm fine Rouge," he finally answered, taking a somewhat deep breath whilst gazing to the night sky.

"Hey Shadow," Rouge called while she fiddled with the one of the straps of her overalls, "You never told me how you learned all those things you do. Ya'know; Chaos Spear, Chaos Control, Chaos... Explosion or whatever..."

"Chaos Blast," Shadow stated, glaring at her with arms crossed, "If you're going to name my moves, at least call them by their correct names..." he grumbled before sitting down on a log behind him, getting comfortable after the fight they had some time ago, "And I don't really know how I know my moves... I just... kinda... do..."

"What?" Rouge then countered, staring at him from her log while she laid one leg over the other, "Never learned how to use them from some ancient guru in the mountains? Or from long since dead echidna on a floating island, perhaps?"

"No, no!" Shadow said, breaking his crossed arms to swat at the air in a dismissive manner, "None of that ever happened. I just..." he looked down to his hand, opening and closing it as he checked it, "I just know how to... do these things... I can stop time. Teleport around. Shoot blasts of amazing power from my fingertips... and I don't know how or why. It's something embedded deep inside my body, like feeling and breathing. It's... second nature to me. The secret is..." he looked away from his hand and up to her, "Sometimes... I feel like I don't know who I am..."

"Well, Shadow... I mean... not to be mean or anything but... your parents are both blue... ya'know..."

"I know that," Shadow growled, "My mother always said... that I was special... I mean... I don't really remember growing up, Rouge. I remember... waking up one day, years ago. In this strange bed, in surroundings I didn't recognize. There were these two hedgehogs taking care of me as well. Both blue. When I woke up – like some scared animal – I attacked them. But the female one calmed me down. She told me she was my mother. She said I suffered a terrible accident and... they were taking care of me. I couldn't remember a thing so, I had reason not to believe them. They were nice to me. Kind to me. Treated me like their son with all the love they could muster. But I never really thought I was their child. I knew there was something more about me. Something that..."

He stopped talking, growing silent as he looked at Rouge. She cocked her head with a face of blank contemplation, as if trying to break through his stone-wall soul. But it was impossible; Shadow simply would not let any secrets go by.

"I love my parents... Mom... Dad..." he stated, "In the entire world, they're the only people who care about me. Even though they know and I know... that... I'm not their son. They wouldn't give me up for the world. I've never seen such beloved devotion in people before. And I sure as hell never felt it..."

"Hmm..." Rouge said with a smile, making Shadow raise an eyebrow, "Bernadette and Jules really did raise you well, huh Shadow?"

"I'd like to think so..." he answered.

"But remember this; you aren't alone in this world..." she cocked her head and gave a real genuine smile. Not a sultry, sexy, or seductive one, "Shadow… Even if you believe everyone in the world will be against you, know that I'll always remain by your side. Remember that."

It was a moment of clarity within Shadow's life. Or maybe it was silent shock. He didn't say anything, and Rouge herself said nothing as well. She just kept smiling. Shadow himself couldn't believe Rouge – his mercenary-like partner who always had her eyes on the prize – said such a thing to him. But he could feel the truth within the words.

He wanted to smile. He really did. But he didn't. Not good with showing his emotions, he started to blush from slight embarrassment. It faded away rather quickly however, and his eyes returned to her.

"I will..."

…

When the seventh Chaos Emerald was taken from the island, at first its citizens searched wildly for it. Thousands of drills were commissioned to dig into the earth, searching for their tool of ultimate power. They drove in for years, decades, centuries, but the Chaos Emerald was forever lost to them.

The remnants of their desperation remain even now. In the Zone of Mystic Cave, thousands of ancient roads stretch into the earth. It's clear from sight alone the Zone's an abandoned mine shaft, one reclaimed by the mountains and forests surrounding it. Vines and grass grow upon the walls, moss covers all rocks, and the heat of Hill Top Zone's volcanic activity mixes with the calm cool air of Wood Zone in varying degrees.

It's not a Zone one should concern themselves with, less they wish for a rather quick death. However, despite the high threat level the Zone presents in and of itself, someone was inside. The old cave was putting up work once again, cranking on endlessly. Someone or something deep inside was churning away to get at the hidden secrets locked inside.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who that person was. Instead, it would take a very sinister doctor.

"This way," Shadow said as he walked along the paths laid out before them.

"Are you sure about this, Shadow?" Rouge inquired, looking over to the earth with a less than trusting eye, "I mean, this place feels like it can come down upon us at any time..." taking a step, the floor started creaking, "Ooooookaaaaay... yup... it's definitely trying to kill us..."

Shadow and Rouge have entered Mystic Cave Zone.

Shadow's shoes suddenly ignited, and he propelled forward at sudden speeds. Skating along the flowing paths, he found them to be quite enjoyable. They rolled up and down, reminding him of the many routes of Green Hill Zone. He just kept on skating, hearing footsteps echo behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, his eyes fell on ally, who was keeping up with him little-to-no effort. Rouge really had gotten better at keeping up; she was even capable of speeds that made him blink.

"Eh!? Shadow stop!" she was also way better at paying attention to things ahead of them.

He quickly heeded her call, pulling up his legs and causing his shoes to flare up. The sudden action caused him to skid to a halt, right before falling down into a pit. Shadow stared down into said pit, noticing the many spikes that awaited him below.

"Well now..." Rouge said as she too stared at the pit, "Looks like the ancients really didn't want us running around here... hmph..."

"You're right..."

Without a moment's hesitation, Shadow leaped over the pit, leaving Rouge behind. She sighed with annoyance, before following suit. Leaping over the pit, she and Shadow took off side-by-side, racing through Mystic Cave Zone's varying corridors. There were many traps around, some of which spring-loaded with still functioning mechanics. 'How' is anyone's guess, but it showed how hostile the ancients were.

Suddenly, to their right, a trap activated. The wall – embedded with hidden spikes – suddenly shot out at them. Rouge gave a yip, while Shadow wrapped his arm around her waist. Pulling back, he saved them both from a swift and deadly impalement. However, Rouge's wings expanded, causing wind to push them to a halt. Confused as to why his ally did such a thing, Shadow twirled around to see another wall of deadly spikes heading their way.

Rouge's wings flapped, while her hands shifted to grab his. With surprising strength (it's not like Shadow's light), she was able to fly them up and over the spikes. They continued moving in until closing shut upon one another.

"Few..." Rouge said, calmly landing upon the walls as she did so, "Are you okay, Shadow?"

He didn't reply. Instead, he pointed in a direction before them, where he drew attention to floating yellow lights. They got closer and closer to them, bringing light into the usually dark cavern walls. Unlike the eerie glows in the distance, these lights where physical, and hovered right in their faces.

Naturally weary of them, Shadow walked back while Rouge stepped forward.

"Ah! Look at them, Shadow!" she said, somewhat like giddy little girl, "They're Fireflies!"

"Fireflies?" Shadow replied, dropping his battle-ready attitude.

"Yes, Fireflies," the bat replied as she stepped for the lights, causing them to move away from her in apprehension, "Those small little bugs that pop up during the summer. They have heat in their butts that glow and create lights. Thus the name 'Fireflies'. Those kinds of Fireflies, Shadow. I assumed – with you living on South Island and all – you'd be used to them."

"I know Fireflies," he answered as he walked toward them, "Those are not Fireflies..."

He walked up to one of the lights, swiping at it with his hands. However they were fast, and quickly dodged them. Eyes sliding into glares, he was prepared to catch them off guard with his sonic speeds, only to be stopped by his partner.

"Hey, now! Leave these cute little things alone!" she snarled, pushing him on the back, "They did nothing to you; let's just get moving!"

The black and red hedgehog growled a bit, nodding whilst listening to her order. He began walking off, arms crossed, with Rouge following close behind.

…

"...Ri... Aaa... M... Ri... aaa...! Maaa... riii... aaaa... Maaaaaaarrrrriiiiiaaaaaa... Maaaarrriiiaa...! Maarriiiaaa! Maria. Maria! MARIA! Maria! Maria. Maria! Maria! Maria! Maria! Maria! Maria!"

"Ma-Ri-A... Maria..." lights shined, "E-Series Model M Ver. 3.2.2. Maria Robotnik activated."

Her blue digital light suddenly appeared into the room, taking the form of a young woman in formal business attire. She stretched out her arms and gave a powerful yawn, all before pulling back down with a smile on her face.

"Ah, good morning, Dr. Robotnik!" Maria said with a lovely smiling toward her cousin, while he sat behind his desk, "I feel so much more elated right now! Like I had the greatest nap in the world!"

"That's lovely, Maria dear," Dr. Robotnik said with a valiant smile, "I was beginning to worry for you when you took far more time to rest now than you did last time, but that's besides the point."

"I have already integrated myself into all of Eggman Industries machines and businesses; running at 100% capacity and... hello, what's this?" Robotnik turned and faced her while she stood tall, eyes shining bright, "Flasher unit in Mystic Cave Zone has located two invaders in the first act of the Zone..." she looked over to Robotnik, "Next course of action, Ivo?"

"Is it all that hard to assume?" Robotnik claimed as he stood from his chair, turning to face the wide window directly behind him, "Mystic Cave Zone is very important to our operation, Maria. If Shadow and Rouge are there..." his eyes slid into a squint, "They may find it before even I do. It would just be my luck! Maria!" he quickly ran back to his chair and sat down in it, pressing buttons on the side, "Prepare the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II this moment! It's time for the doctor to make a house call..."

"Immediately, Dr. Robotnik!" Maria stated as she faded into nothing.

A whole suddenly opened directly beneath Robotnik's feet, and he fell fairly fast down the hole. It was a tube which led him deep into another area, all the while the dictator trailed his fingers along his arm rest with annoyance. Shadow and Rouge were like little cockroaches; no matter how many times he tried to squash them, they just kept popping up in his home. But now, those blast cockroaches were messing around in an area he had barred off. A specific manner he himself was working to get his way into.

If they could find the secret zone that not even the ancients could fine, then all would be for naught. However, he knew how Shadow and Rouge worked. He just knew it – he freaking knew it – they'd somehow find their way there. Even though he had been searching for its location for what felt like an eternity.

So far, he knew the location of five Chaos Emeralds. He had two, Shadow and Rouge held three. The last two were somewhere on this island, he knew that much. But down there, beneath Mystic Cave Zone, he felt as if all his hours of hard work lay within.

He refused to be defeated by them once more.

"I fill find you, Shadow..." he claimed, "And I will kill you..." smiling, he revealed the light blue Chaos Emerald to sit within his hands, "Let's see if my theories are correct."

"They always are, doctor," Maria affirmed.

…

The Fireflies were still following them. Shadow noticed this, while Rouge went on about more random things. He was becoming quite annoyed with her, though he didn't stay so. Instead, he focused on the mission at hand. There was something about this place which really felt alluring. Something somewhere was calling out to him, begging to get his attention. He didn't pay attention to it, however.

He did know he needed to get a move on, however. Shadow rose his hand, silencing Rouge's speech about whatever she was going on about. Honestly, he wasn't paying attention. Instead, he readied himself for a sudden dash down into the caves. Rouge did likewise, when the lights of the Fireflies suddenly flew in their way.

Shadow pulled back, gazing at them while they hovered directly in their line of sight. Peering hard into the lights, he attempted to see past their unnatural glow and into the bugs beneath. However, he noticed the glow taking on a most unusual shine. The lights began to jerk and dance about, with one aiming towards him.

He had no time to dodge it. It came so fast and was such a surprise, he simply allowed it to strike him square in the chest. Shadow grunted as his chest was singed by the light blast, and immediately countered with a blast of his own. His strike destroyed the entire group of Fireflies before them, causing the air to rain with bits of machinery.

"I knew it!" Shadow growled as he glared at them, "Badniks! Here!"

"Badniks!?" Rouge replied, as more lights flew from deep inside the cave to face them.

These lights fired off various rays of light, threatening to kill the two mobians with precise aim. Shadow quickly vanished into a blur while Rouge flew above. Gazing upon the roads below, she watched as each one of the Firefly-like Badniks were destroyed by a shaded image constantly darting around. Watching as Shadow dealt with the Badniks below, Rouge didn't pay attention to the crumbling wall behind her. When a rock fell upon her head, the bat gazed up. Just in time to dodge a deadly strike.

SLASH!

The blue head of a fanged being darted right past Rouge's body, instead flying down into the ground. Before the bat could even process what happened, the blue centipede-like machine flew back into the wall, hiding once more. Rouge hovered in the air, before trailing her eyes down to the battle below. Shadow just finished the last of the Firefly-like enemies, holding it like he would a rock.

"Disgusting machines..." he grumbled, reading the name painted in white upon its side, "Flashers..." he crushed it the next second.

"Shadow! Look out!" Rouge called, noticing a rock fall upon his head.

He glanced up, and just like Rouge, had only a fraction of a second to dodge a blue dart. He skated back, watching as the bug-like bot flew back into the hole it created in the ceiling. Shadow breathed in and out, not moving instead assessing the situation. He could hear something rumbling around in the walls, making his eyes dart left and right. He quickly rose his fists, right when another one of those blue machines shot out to strike him.

Time slowed to a crawl, with the machine aiming to behead him. But with sonic reflexes, Shadow quickly grabbed the machine by the neck. It was caught in his hand, where with one tense of his hand, he crushed its neck and destroyed the machine's entire body. But the walls around them continued to move about and rumble; there were more Badniks around them.

"This cave's not stable," Shadow claimed with Rouge descending to stand next to him.

"So what do you have in mind?"

"This..."

Shadow grabbed a hold of her hand, before suddenly blasting off at amazing speeds. He moved so fast, this glowing yellow aura flowed around his and Rouge's body. As soon as he exploded forward at amazing speeds, the cave they were in began to collapse around them. Rouge stared back to the falling rocks, giving a shriek of horror. If Shadow let up his run in the slightest, the would be crushed.

But Shadow kept his rush at a constant pace; no, he may have been going faster as time went on. Their surroundings began to rapidly blur, while the sound of shadow's slipstream howled all around them. Rouge attempted to clamp down her ears to keep the defining howl from injuring her any further.

And then it all stopped. Just like that. Rouge found the need to run again, as Shadow no longer ran at such speeds she was lifted from the earth. Looking forward, she realized why Shadow suddenly slowed down. They entered a cavern far larger than they would expect living beneath the ground. Many ruins aged on for centuries sat next to high-tech machines. All these things worked together to do one task; bore into the earth. They were searching for something, wherever it may lay.

Shadow and Rouge have passed Act 1.

"What is this place?" Rouge inquired as she slowed to a halt, gazing upon the highway of ruins and machines.

"AUGH!?" Shadow replied.

She was stunned to see him fall to his knees, hands on the ground, growling in pain. She tried to soothe his pain, she called out to him, pulled him, pushed him, but there were no answers. Shadow began to grip his head in powerful pain, growling while a powerful thumping shot in his mind. He didn't know what it was or how to deal with it, he just knew it hurt like hell.

"Shadow! Shadow! Shadow!" Rouge called out to him, "What's wrong!? Shadow! Talk to me! Talk to me!"

"This is a Chaos Emerald, Shadow m'boy..."

His eyes opened up. No longer did he stand in the endless caverns of Mystic Cave Zone, instead he was in a house. A nice warmly place, heated interior, with an even hotter exterior. It was probably the hottest day of the year on South Island, and it showed. Many were outside, lapping up the heat, enjoying the time with water works and such. But these two hedgehogs sat in a home, with one holding a green stone of mystical power.

He was a blue hedgehog, one with quills that pointed in various directions. Sitting on his muzzle was a great bushy brown mustache, and sitting upon that was a pair of glasses. He was an older fellow, probably pushing into his fifties.

Within his home laid many items, most of which weren't put together. The floor was littered with tools and other such gadgets, many of which were taken apart, and very little being finished and put together.

The blue hedgehog tugged on his brown gloves before dropping the wrench in his hand. He then held the green stone in both hands, peering deep into its alluring aura with his deep-brown eyes. Stroking his mustache briefly, the blue hedgehog began chuckling while his eyes traveled to the ebony hedgehog before him.

"Quite the find, Shadow m'boy!" said the blue hedgehog, almost electrified, "How'd you find this!? Chaos Emeralds are myths! U-urban Legends at most!"

"What is it, Uncle Chuck?" the black one inquired, pushing his question with a hint of seriousness in his voice.

"Of course you'd act like that," the blue hedgehog said as he stood up from the table, tossing the Chaos Emerald leisurely up and down whilst making way for one of his many machines, "Always so serious, like your mother. Well, I think you're a tad bit worse but... eh..." he stopped walking as he stood near a machine, one with a strange radar device, "A Chaos Emerald is a stone that sits in history. Their powerful rocks that can... well... do anything! Stop time! Teleport! Manipulate the very fabric of space! They say they hold a connection to something called the Chaos Force which is the power force that exists within all of us."

"That doesn't sound real..." Shadow remarked, arms crossed while he leaned back in his chair.

"Ah! Stupid machine!" Chuck then grumbled, fiddling with the strange device's on/off switch, "I created it specifically to locate Chaos Energy but... it can't even sense the Chaos Emerald right in front of the darn thing... agh..." he then looked back to his son, eyebrow raised, "So, uh... Shadow m'boy... how'd you come across this thing, anyway? They're supposed to be lost to time, ya'know."

"I went to Marble Zone not too long ago," the hedgehog claimed, "I felt it... calling to me..."

"Calling?"

"Yeah, calling... I heard the voice of an old man say, 'Shadow, my son, this is...' and it ended..." the black and red hedgehog's face grew hard with rage, "I have no idea what it is, however! I feel as if I'm... remembering something but..." he shook his head however, eyes moving away, "Uncle Chuck... the biplane I brought to you... is it ready for flight?"

"Not quite, Shadow m'boy," Chuck replied as he walked to his nephew, handing the Chaos Emerald to him, "If we work on it continuously, we can get the plane ready for flight by next week."

Shadow didn't say anything, he instead nodded at his uncle. Chaos Emerald in hand, he placed it away and headed for the door. Before he could exit however, his Uncle called out to him.

"Shadow!" the hedgehog faced him, "Keep that Chaos Emerald on you at all time. It's very important Shadow. Don't tell anyone about it, especial Jules! We both know he can barely keep his mouth shut about things!"

Shadow chuckled inwardly as he opened the door, nodding to his uncle whilst exiting.

"I hear you, Uncle Chuck. I hear you."

The door closed shut behind him soon after, leaving the blue hedgehog alone in his home.

Shadow's eyes opened. He was back in the cave, with nothing changed between now and then. Rouge was still calling out to him, he was still in an expansive cavern, and the pain was still in his head. But it was quickly subsiding, and soon it was gone. Shadow let out a relieved groan, while his hand continued to rub his temples. With Rouge's help, he got back to his feet, but not without getting an earful from the bat beside him.

"What the hell was all that, Shadow!?" Rouge barked at him, feeling considerable rage, "You scared the bejeezus out of me!"

"Rouge..." he growled, "Let me see that map!"

"What map!"

"The map!"

It took her a few moments to remember said map, before it hit her. Reaching into her overall's pockets, she returned with the map in hand. The map to Hidden Palace Zone, that is. The black and red hedgehog quickly unraveled the map, where in which sat a perfectly created representation of all of West Side Island. From Emerald Hill Zone to Hill Top Zone, this map had it all.

Rouge's map was far older, however. It showed zones that no longer existed on West Side Island, as well as Zones they didn't travel through on their quest. According to this map however, Hidden Palace Zone sat right under their feet.

"It's here Rouge," Shadow suddenly stated, eyes glowing at the map in his hands, "It's here!"

"What's here!?"

"I can feel it," Shadow claimed as he handed the map back, now walking to the edge of the walkway, "Hidden Palace Zone..." he looked over the edge into the expansive abyss below, "It's right here, beneath us."

"Lovely of you to realize that for me," a voice boomed beyond all of them, a very familiar voice, "But I already learned of its secret!"

The ceiling of the cave began shaking and quaking, rumbling as rocks and spikes fell from the ceiling. Shadow and Rouge stared up in unison as the fragile caverns began to break apart all around them. In the center of the cave in, the ceiling started to part with a hole. This hole grew greater and greater, before breaking apart fully. The cause of this was shown to be two sterling silver drills, both of which twirled at an amazing rate. The hole they created grew to a size allowing the rest of its body to descend into the area.

Another Egg Mobile unit. Round and spherical, with a dome on the top. However, unlike the other Egg Mobiles before, this one's dome wasn't silver like the rest. Because this Egg Mobile wasn't controlled by a robot. Instead, the controller was a certain manacle dictator, one with gleaming red eyes.

"Good evening Rouge. And you too, Shadow..." Dr. Robotnik claimed as he descended into the area, "It's lovely to see you two face-to-face again."

"Robotnik!" Shadow growled, glaring at the man hovering before them.

"A lovely machine, is it not?" Robotnik claimed, hand sliding along his armrest whilst smiling, "The Egg Mobile-D you destroyed in Emerald Hill Zone proved to be fantastic success! Such a shame you two happened to it. However, I used its failure to fuel my next invention. Meet the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II! It's twice as fast, twice as strong, and twice as durable as the Egg Mobile-D Mk. I! And, might I add, it now comes with two drills, because you know what they say!" he smiled dementedly, "The more the merrier!"

POW!

A sudden black sphere slammed into the head of his Egg Mobile, causing him to fly back. Dr. Robotnik growled as his rant was cut short, watching instead as that black ball landed safely on an old runway. The dictator glared down at the black and red hedgehog, before noticing a crack appear on his cockpit.

"You talk too much, doctor," Shadow claimed, hand charging with power, "I'll shut you up; Chaos Spear!"

Shadow threw out his hand, firing a blast of yellow energy directly at the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II. The strike – like all Chaos Spears to Egg Mobiles – was deflected and thrown into the far distance where it crashed into the wall, further agitating the fragile cave they were inside. However, the Chaos Spear wasn't the main strike intended to do damage. Instead, it was the double footed blow aimed at its back.

"Hiiiiyaaaaah!" Rouge announced, right as her feet slammed onto the Egg Mobile-D's back.

The strike sent Robotnik downward, and deep into the abyss. Rouge flapped her wings to keep herself airborne, all while the doctor ascended back into the sky. The corrupt business man stared at the two mobians with a no-nonsense face. He was angry and annoyed – that much was obvious – but he didn't show it. He simply lifted a finger and waged it in a 'nuh-uh-uh' manner.

"I've had enough playing these stupid games with you," Robotnik claimed, the drills of the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II turning to point up, "These boss battles have long since lost their spark; I'm sick of them," the drills began twirling as he shot up to bore through the ceiling, "I'll bring this cave on top of you! Shadow the hedgehog!"

Moving too fast for Shadow and Rouge to do anything about it, Dr. Robotnik began drilling into the ceiling of Mystic Cave Zone. The area began rumbling violently, giving them little time to react. Many rocks and spikes started falling as well, threatening to either knock them unconscious or impale them as a whole.

"Shadow! We need to get out of here!" Rouge shouted as she darted to hover right beside him, "Use Chaos Control and get us out of here!"

"Already doing—eh!?"

He had the red Chaos Emerald in hand and was ready to escape, only to notice something falling in the debris of the cave. A white object, shining brighter than any object in the entire cave. He could feel it resonating with power from even this distance, while it fell into the abyss. Time seemed to slow as it fell into the seemingly endless pit below, with the hedgehog keeping his eyes on it and only it.

"A Chaos Emerald..." he whispered.

"SHADOW WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

Shadow suddenly leaped into the pit, falling toward the Chaos Emerald which continued to escape his grasp. His jet boots activated to give him the necessary push to grab it. However, a rock slammed into the Chaos Emerald, further pushing it from his grasp. He waved his arms out for it as best he could, but he just couldn't grab it.

From above Rouge hopped on the runway. She didn't know what to do; follow Shadow to his assured doom, or attempt to find safety on her own. She looked up and down, left to right, and ultimately gave a scream. When a massive bolder destroyed one side of the runway she stood on, Rouge made a split-second decision to jump.

And fall.

She dove into the abyss much like Shadow before her, forsaking her own safety to follow her suicidal friend. She had no clue why she did so; she just put faith in her friend. Whatever it was Shadow was doing, she had very little reason to doubt him.

"DAMMIT SHADOW!" she roared as she fell, "IF WE DIE BECAUSE OF THIS, I'LL KILL YOOOOOOOUUUUUUU!"

Shadow simply paid attention to the white Chaos Emerald before him, where he finally grabbed it. Emerald in hand, he was ready to Chaos Control he and his ally back to safety. But before he could do such a thing, he noticed a gleam in the darkness of the abyss. Something large was down there, something far bigger than he realized.

He saw a green light.

…

He stared down endlessly to the ground, one which was breaking in and around itself. Mystic Cave Zone was now gone, destroyed thanks to his antics. His twirling drills began to calm however, though the same couldn't be said for his emotions. He hid them well though, glaring down to the pit, eyes red, hovering there with complacent anger.

"Doctor..."

A small blue image of a woman suddenly appeared on his dashboard. She stared up to him, though he didn't stare back. He simply continued to gaze at the crumbling cave directly below him.

"Ivo. Eggman Industries satellites claim Mystic Cave Zone has crumbled upon itself..." Maria claimed, staring up to him, "I assume you've had something to do with this."

"Perhaps..." Robotnik claimed while he unraveled his red tie, "Maria. Cancel any and all meetings I may have for tonight and tomorrow," his eyes slid into a glare, "I'm going to be gone for the evening..."

"Ah, but Ivo," Maria claimed, "I've already prepared your dinner for this evening, and Commander Abraham Tower wishes to speak with you on the new Beetle models..."

"You heard me, Maria," Ivo claimed as he removed his tie and unbuttoned his brown shirt, "Maria..." his eyes settled into a glare, "Shadow the hedgehog. I'm going to kill you..."


	10. Hidden Palace Zone

Hidden Palace Zone

SPLASH! SPLASH!

He held it in his hand. That glowing white stone of mystical – near godlike – power now sat within his palm. He grasped it tightly, not letting it out of his touch, before opening his eyes.

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH SPLASH! DOOOOOOM!

All around him, inside this inner-cavern lake, rocks fell. They collapsed into the same lake as he, with large boulders falling atop as well. He stared up and then around, before his eyes fell upon his ally. He didn't know she came with him; the white-furred bat. So absorbed with this Chaos Emerald, he didn't pay attention to her as well. She shook her head clear from the dizzying drop, feeling the same pain that rumbled through his head from the fall. But she was conscious as well, and knew very well of the danger they lay in. Time to get moving.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!"

"Fu! Fu! Fu!"

Their hands met land in unison, the bat just slight before him. Swimming to the edge of the lake, they were able to climb out of it together, freeing themselves from the rocks that continued to fall from the ceiling. When she got to her feet first, her hand reached out to grab his. He took the kind gesture without a moment's hesitation.

Mystic Cave Zone completed.

Both of them stood, drenched, tired, gasping for air, bodies aching from the fall into water, but with a since of victory rumbling through them. After all, Shadow had a Chaos Emerald. He lifted the white stone into the air, smiling whilst staring into its beautiful gleam. The bat was ready to talk her allies ear off, before noticing the rock in his hand as well. In doing so, he gave her a cocky – somewhat 'hah-hah' – smile that made her cross her arms and scoff.

"What's that suppose to mean?" she inquired, making him chuckle openly.

"Nothing Rouge," he replied, now placing the Chaos Emerald away.

They turned around then, watching as the rocks fell into the lake below. This was where the abyss led to; an underground lake inside an even deeper cave. It was clear tow the mobians this place existed deep below Mystic Cave Zone, so deep it wasn't a mystery why this place went undiscovered for so long.

Whatever this place was, exactly.

"So... where are we?" Rouged asked, attempting to rain out water that laid in her hair.

"I don't know..." Shadow replied, eyes scanning the cavern they found themselves trapped within, "It's big though, I can tell that much... hmm..." he looked up, "I just pray all of Mystic Cave Zone doesn't come crashing down upon us..."

"Hey! Don't say that!" Rouge berated, "I don't want the image of that falling down in my head!"

"Then let's figure out a way to get out of here..." Shadow said, before lifting the white Emerald in his hand, "I have one idea in mind."

Rouge nodded and got close to him, ready to be whisked away by the amazing powers of Chaos Control. He lifted it and quickly began calling upon its powers, regulating his breath as he thought about their destination. However, the image he had was clouded. Instead of picturing the bright fields outside of Mystic Cave Zone, the Black Wind could only envision a large green diamond. It was like the green Chaos Emerald, only larger. It emanated some power, and called out to him constantly.

And then, through it all, he heard a voice.

Starman.

Shadow stepped back, eyebrow raised, mind filled with confusion. Rouge looked at him in a curious manner, wondering what was going on with her ally. Why had they not vanished from this point before more rocks came to kill them? She rose her hand and snapped fingers in front of her ally, gaining his attention, where she asked in a sassy tone.

"Aren't we getting a move on, Shadow dear?"

He lowered an eyebrow to glare at her, before dropping his arm and putting away the Chaos Emerald. Now Rouge was really confused.

"Hey, hey, now!" she called, following Shadow as he began to walk alongside the wall, hand upon it, "What are you doing? Shadow! What's going on?"

"There's something here, Rouge," he finally answered, walking with his hand lining the wall continuously, "But I don't know what... you didn't hear it, did you?"

"Hear what?"

"You didn't hear it..."

Shadow continued walking along the wall, only stopping when he felt one wall act separately from another. But it wasn't a wall, it was instead a bolder. One that had fallen into place to cover a hallway. Shadow stepped back, fist at the ready. He didn't know what it was he was about to propel himself into, but he needed to find out. Whoever that voice was, whatever that stone was, he needed to know.

"What is going on here...?" he murmured, before delivering a punch to the stone.

At the same time, he ground the dimension within his fist, causing a contortion that made itself known by a dark multicolored sphere around his hand. The punch destroyed the rock, sending fragments in all directions. After covering their eyes to shroud out debris, the mobians gazed forth to see such beauty and wonder.

The walls were lined with beautiful gushing waterfalls, ones that flowed flawlessly into green aqueducts. The walkways were pristine and wonderful, looking as if they were untouched by outside hands for millenniums, but were still kept in clean working order. There was a glowing light somewhere in the area, which allowed the the two a great look at the expansive cave. It owned various walkways and runways, all of them diving deep inside to areas unknown.

"Where are we?" Rouge asked, taking note of the glowing green ambiance in the far distance.

"I have no clue..." Shadow replied, he too stunned to near silence, "But... Rouge... there was something calling to me in there..." he looked at her, as it suddenly hit him, "Wait, Rouge... do you think that... do you think that this is it?"

"W-w-wait!" she said, suddenly feeling energetic while her teal eyes started to shine bright, "Don't say it, don't say it!" she ran in front of him (while he gave a less than enthusiastic stare), and pulled out the map they used to travel around West Side Island, "Glowing green ambiance, runways, waterfalls!" she then turned and faced him, wings flapping with full vigor, "Shadow! I think we've found it! I think we've found the Hidden Palace Zone!"

He simply looked at her, face emotionless (though annoyed), and arms crossed as if disinterested. Granted, this is Shadow; his arms are always crossed.

"Why aren't you as happy as I am right now?"

"Because I figured that out already," he replied as he walked past her, making her glare at him from anger, "It's not all that hard to realize when you think about it..."

"Ya'know, you're really getting on my nerves, Shadow," Rouge said, before smiling with a sunny face, "But I don't care! We found it! We found the Hidden Palace Zone! It's right her! Right in our face! We're standing inside of it, Shadow! We're standing inside the Hidden Palace Zone!"

He didn't say anything, instead staring around to the zone. There was just something about this place; he couldn't put his finger on it. Something felt distant to him, and yet there were still things calling him in. For one thing, his Chaos Powers – the crux of his radar – was deadly silent. If this was the fabled Hidden Palace Zone, why wasn't his powers acting wild right now?

And then there was that voice, and that image. What was he supposed to do about all that?

"I can't wait to see what's inside!" Rouge said, mouth drooling and gleams in her eyes, "The diamonds in Hidden Palace Zone are said to be more beautiful than anything! Not to mention bigger than a freaking boulder! We need to search everywhere for them, Shadow! We really do!"

"I get it, I get it..." he said, withdrawing the green Chaos Emerald whilst walking forward, "But still... what was that voice...?"

Shadow shook off the inhibitions he had, instead focusing on the task at hand. Finding the center of Hidden Palace Zone seemed to be the best idea at that point in time. The Black Wind turned and faced his kleptomaniac friend, nodded, then ignited his air shoes.

"Let's move..." he simply said before skating off, Rouge following closely behind.

Now entering Hidden Palace Zone.

The duo rushed through caverns of Hidden Palace Zone side-by-side, staring at all it had to offer them. The shining walls, the glowing bridges, the wonderful waters. They were so clean, one could drink from them with no ill side-effects.

Rouge simply adored the sights. She could stare at them for ages and never grow bored. And – what was even better – she was here! This wasn't the side of some old jar, or just pages in some dead guy's diary, this was the actual place! This was the real and true Hidden Palace Zone. A variable haven of wonderful jewels and crystals, all of them ripe for the taking. Seriously, who was going to get mad at them for taking a rock or two? Or three? Or four? Or five? Or six!? Or seven!? Or eight!? Or nine!? Or ten!?

Who would get mad if they took all of them?

Shadow's mind ran a muck with thoughts more pure than that. For some reason, he felt as if this area had already be defiled, though he couldn't put his finger on it. Whether it be the air, or just the general tone as well; where was that chaos powers he knew should have been hovering in the air right now? The fact that it didn't sit here sent alarm bells blaring in his ears.

They skated down the halls, using the curving bend to retain their momentum as they blasted down the halls. Coming along a bridge, the duo found it to be green and even pulsate while they ran atop it. Beneath them, endless rivers and lakes peppered the bottom of this cavern; even more of a sight to see.

Shadow leaped over one pit leading down below, while Rouge hovered over it. She just needed to look at the lake for a few seconds; it was too beautiful to pass up. Shadow – having no time for this – grabbed her hand and pulled her along with him. The pathways they followed were interesting to say the least. They way they curved up and curved down, had varying loops (a classic), not to mention how they perfectly helped them run with speed; it was thrilling!

Then why did everything feel so wrong?

Over the next binge and deeper into the cave, Shadow's eyes fell upon it. The same object he had seen in his brief vision sat some ways away. The fact that he saw it at all was enough fuel to keep make him suddenly burst forward at amazing speeds. The same could be said for Rouge, though she rushed forth just to see the large rock.

And then the earth suddenly shifted beneath their feet. Shadow skidded to a halt as best he could, but Rouge crashed right into him. To their surprise, they found themselves falling down a green tube that ran deep into the caverns. Taken aback by the sudden change in scenery, the two mobians simply road the slide deep down. The tube dropped deep into the lakes below, where beneath laid a myriad of diamonds.

"Oh my god! Ohmygod! Ohmygoooooooood," Rouge practically foamed at the gleaming stones beneath her.

Shadow – uninterested in the stones – simply waited for the tube to stop. And it did; the path spat them out upon one another, with Rouge sitting on Shadow's back.

"Shadow! Shadow! Shadow! Did you see that!? Did you see that Shadow!? Didyaseethem!? Didsyaseethem!?"

"Yes, I saw them," he grumbled, hand curling into a fist, "Rouge!"

"There was so many of them, Shadow! SOOOOOOO many!"

"ROUGE!" he suddenly barked, "GET OFF OF ME!"

"Oh..."

She quickly got off his back, allowing him to stand up. The hedgehog tugged on his gloves before gazing skyward, eyes falling upon a staircase. It ascended up into the ceiling, and to an area Shadow couldn't see from where he stood. The Black Wind was mesmerized by the sight, eyebrow raised and ears twitching. He could hear Rouge go on about plans to get the rocks, but he didn't care. Instead, he heard another voice call out to him.

Starman.

"Shadow, are you listening?" Rouge asked, not noticing her friend had already started walking up the stairs.

He was halfway up when Rouge began calling him, and could no longer hear her voice. Instead, he walked to the top of the stairs, where his ruby eyes fell upon a large emerald. It gleamed just as bright as the green Chaos Emerald he owned. In fact, he pulled it out in order to compare the two stones. The rock before him was like a complete replica of the green Chaos Emerald, only far far larger.

Starman.

"Who are you!?" he shouted back, looking up and around to it, "I can hear you, you know! And I'm getting sick of your games! Show yourself this instant!"

He didn't get an answer this time. Well, not the answer he was searching for.

"Shadow!? What's going on up there?" Rouge shouted as she ran up the stairs, "Who are you yelling at?"

"You don't hear it, do you?" Shadow inquired, to which the bat replied with,

"Hear what?"

"Figures..." he turned back to the great emerald, clutching his green Chaos Emerald close, "I'm hearing some voice, Rouge. It's calling out to me, or something... ugh... it's like... it's saying Starman, and... I think it's talking about me or something. Like..." he looked at his reflection in the large emerald, "I think it's calling me the Starman. What does that mean, though?"

"Oh my goodness," Rouge instead replied, before magnetizing herself to the large emerald with arms hugging it close, "It's sooooooo big Shadow! You have to get it out for us! You just have to!" she looked at her reflection in the stone next, "You're gonna look good in momma's lobby!"

"I'm being serious Rouge!" Shadow shouted, drawing her attention back to him, "There's something or someone here! With us! We aren't alone!"

"That much is true, Shadow the hedgehog..." a voice answered his call.

Rouge and Shadow pulled back up, their eyes falling upon a corridor that entered into this chamber. Walking from the shadows of said corridor was a certain human man holding a cane. Bald head but magnificent brown mustache, wearing a brown suit and tie with matching brown slacks; it was none other than Dr. Ivo Robotnik. And if you had any doubts to this, you could tell it was him by the pin on his collar that shared his visage.

Surely, only the Eggman himself would wear such a thing.

"Robotnik!" Shadow growled, rage quickly jumping to the tenth degree at the sight of his mortal nemesis.

Seeing his enemy outside of his usual machines instantly caused Shadow to charge at Robotnik. But instead of hitting him, Shadow found himself being thrown back by a strange projection. A force-field of some sort was emitted around Robotnik, pushing Shadow back who crashed into the large emerald itself.

"Augh..." he grunted in pain, "Dammit... what was that?"

"Sorry Shadow," Robotnik claimed, hand reaching into his coat to pull out the purple Chaos Emerald, "But you do understand; I must play this game by my rules."

"The purple Chaos Emerald?" Rouge said, stunned by the fact Robotnik was holding it, "But... he only has the light blue Emerald..."

"Unless..." Shadow said, eyes growing wide, "That's the seventh Chaos Emerald!"

"Indeed, Shadow," Robotnik claimed as he held tossed the purple Chaos Emerald up and down casually, "Think about it for a moment. How long do you think I've been here? Do you honestly believe I was able to take over all of West Side Island in such a short amount of time? I may be the greatest mind on all of the planet, but everything takes time. Once I took over the island, I put all my efforts in locating the seventh Chaos Emerald. Thanks to our battle on South Island not too long ago, the seventh Chaos Emerald began emitting its own signal, one I easily picked up on. I've spent so long searching for it, when I found this place..." he looked around to the zone, "Amazing, isn't it? The Hidden Palace Zone. As a young man, I spent years dreaming about it. It's... so large... so grandiose... so... amazing. Its everything I thought it would be, and then some," he glared down to them, "When I found this place, I nearly died!"

"You're going to be die!" Shadow growled, hands surging with power.

He threw himself at Robotnik again, clashing once more with that invisible force that repelled him. This time however, the force was so strong, it slammed him into the wall where he bounced off.

"Please stop," Robotnik said as he walked up to them, watching as Rouge helped Shadow to his feet, "You're only embarrassing yourself."

"What are you doing?" Shadow asked as he leaned back, "How are you doing that?"

"I've had quite the time to fiddle with the purple Chaos Emerald," Robotnik claimed, a smile coming to his lips, "Can't you imagine unhindered time with a Chaos Emerald? Learning all of its secrets? What it can and can't do? Let me tell you this; there is very little a Chaos Emerald can't do. I can see why these things are so sought after. With just one Chaos Emerald, I was able to create this!"

Robotnik pulled up the cane he held his hand on, instead holding it by its handle instead of its head. With the move, he showed sitting in the head of the cane was the light blue Chaos Emerald.

"The Egg Scepter is an amazing gadget, is it not?" Robotnik claimed, smile on his face, "I can't naturally do the things you can do, but with this I can! Teleportation! Energy manipulation! And of course – my personal favorite – shield projection! It's only in its beta, but with added time, I'll-WHAT!?"

He didn't pay attention to her. All his time gloating, he kept his eyes glaring at his hated enemy. And then that foot came flying across his staff, sending it flying as the light blue Chaos Emerald was sent flying. In that moment, Robotnik, Shadow, and Rouge leaped for the light blue stone. Their hands met it in unison on the floor, but only one had the true power to activate it.

"CHAOS! CONTROL!"

The area grew bright with a flash, before it all died out. Robotnik got to his feet as best he could, and when he stood tall the bright flash died out. He gazed forward to the other side of the chamber, having his eyes fall on Shadow and Rouge. The black and red hedgehog gave a smirk as he held the light blue Chaos Emerald; or maybe it was because he glared at his greatest foe.

"Now, now, now, Shadow," Robotnik said with a forced smile, hands waving through the air, "Let's not do anything hasty now!"

"I've heard enough. You're boring me to death, Robotnik!" Shadow claimed as he aimed his hand at the dictator, "You're going down! CHAOS SPEAR!"

He didn't even wait. He charged the greatest Chaos Spear he could muster, one charged not only from the Chaos Emeralds he currently held, but also by emotion. So much hatred, so much rage, so much pleasure, was about to be launched from his fingertips and to the doctor.

It was a shame he was going to destroy him this fast. Maybe he should torture him a bit.

Nawwwww!

Shadow's Chaos Spear flew from his fingers and slammed right into Robotnik's body. The blast caused a bright display of power, one that emitted for what seemed like hours. Shadow smiled as he watched the vile dictator being destroyed by his blast. But then it occurred to him how silent it was. Sure, it was loud when you consider the sound of his blast, but where were the screams of pain that was supposed to be accompanying the blast? There wasn't one; there were no screams of pain.

The flaring lights died down, and Shadow dropped his hand. On the other end of the chamber where Robotnik once laid, there lay this scorching black patch. But it was more specifically what laid in front of the glowing patch.

A machine, one in the perfect likeness of a human. Body and flesh blown open by his blast, showing the wires and machinery within. It didn't take long for Shadow to realize the person he just attacked wasn't the doctor he hated, but instead a machine.

"Oh no..." Shadow remarked, while the land around them began violently quaking, among other things.

More rocks and spikes began falling in the chamber, while the walls broke away. Much like in Mystic Cave Zone before, these quakes weren't natural. Within the center above them, a hole began to grow. It grew wide and soon, large enough for a machine to pull itself out of.

Two drills as silver as Rouge's hair tore through the rocks, bringing along with them a cave in of monstrous proportions. For the second time that night, Rouge and Shadow found themselves staring face to face with the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II. And, of course, it was being controlled by the head egg himself, Ivo Robotnik.

"DOCTOR!" Shadow roared, fist shaking with rage.

"I recommend you calm yourself down, Shadow," Robotnik said as he leaned on the command console of his machine, "It's not good for your- BLOOD PRESSURE!"

He pressed a button on his dashboard, causing slots to open on his machine. From these slots, a pair of rockets were fired out. They streamed through the air, forcing Shadow and Rouge to avoid by leaping. When they touched upon the aged grounds they exploded, sending even more rocks and debris flying in all directions.

"It's such a shame I must do this to Hidden Palace Zone," Robotnik claimed with a sigh, "But as they always say, you must break a few eggs to make an omelet!"

The drills of the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II suddenly aimed down at Shadow, who was recoiling from the rocket attacked. The thrusters of the Egg Mobile exploded with flames, propelling the doctor forward in a bed to impale the hedgehog. But the Black Wind was saw it coming, and put his hands up to stop the attack. His hands slammed upon the Egg Mobile's cockpit, but the rush was still enough to push the hedgehog against a wall.

"Give up, Shadow," Robotnik said, face maniacal as he forced the hedgehog further against the wall.

"Never!" the hedgehog replied, steadily turning red.

"Oh! Chaos Blast!" Robotnik commented, noticing the red hue his nemesis was taking, "I've already taken the necessary precautions to deal with that!"

Shadow growled upon hearing that, but continued through with his attack nonetheless. However, before he could perform the attack, a deafening roar echoed over the both of them.

"ERRRRAAAAARRRGGGHHH!"

A powerful shock wave befell Robotnik and Shadow both, making the latter cringe in pain. But for Robotnik, he merely scoffed. Turning around in his cockpit, he faced Rouge who was screaming at him with her 'Beauty Shock'. It did absolutely nothing to him.

"Already prepared," he claimed to himself, silencing Rouge who went wide-eyed from shock.

The drills on the Egg Mobile-D Mk. II suddenly turned around, now aiming at Shadow. Bursting with flames, they charred Shadow and pushed the doctor flying into Rouge. He slammed into her, causing the blue Chaos Emerald she held to fly out while she was stricken unconscious. A claw from the Egg Mobile flew out and grabbed the Chaos Emerald, before flying back to Robotnik himself. The claw pulled in the Chaos Emerald, and after a few seconds, the dictator was holding it in his hands.

"That's more like it!" Robotnik claimed with an insidious smile, before a rock was thrown at him.

"Don't get too cocky, doctor," Shadow said, walking to face the Eggman, "You haven't won this fight yet!"

"Au contraire, Shadow," Robotnik replied, glaring at the Black Wind with a torturous smile, "The entire cave is coming in and around itself. You're weakened from battling my Badniks in Mystic Cave Zone, fighting me up there, the fall down here, and fighting me right now! You're sapped, Shadow the hedgehog!"

"I may be a little exhausted," Shadow admitted, "But it's more than enough to deal with you!" he began turning red, "Chaos Boost!"

A red aura erupted from Shadow's body. The next second, he leaped at the doctor, fist at the ready. From the Egg Mobile-D's slots, Robotnik fired out even more rockets. They slammed into Shadow's body, the first two he shrugged off, the third pushed him back, the fourth threw him back into the ground.

The hedgehog attempted to catch his breath after taking on the missiles, while Robotnik descended to meet him.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" Robotnik gloated, "Feeling the zone cave in around you? It's beautiful, right?"

"Why'd you do this to Hidden Palace Zone?" Shadow asked, watching as the ceiling literally fell all around them.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" Robotnik asked, arms spread out as if to bask in the glory of the destruction, "Suddenly feeling empathy for history? Believe me, as a scientist, this hurts my gravely. But it must happen..." he smiled down upon him, "If it means you die in the aftermath!"

"You'd destroy this zone just to kill me!?"

"I'D DESTROY A THOUSAND ZONES JUST TO KILL YOU!?" Robotnik roared, "But first things first..."

Shadow stood up, where in which he began to charge his Chaos Boost once more. Before he could launch an attack however, the claws of the Egg Mobile-D launched for him. Shadow grabbed them by the base and began pulling, attempting to bring Robotnik down to him. The Eggman smiled though, where its clamps suddenly launched and slammed upon Shadow's shoulders. He kept pulling however, unaware of the danger the clamps held, the Black Wind refused to pull it off.

Until...

BBBZZZZRRRRRTTT!

"AUGH!?"

The hedgehog crumbled to his knees, feeling his body surging with thousands of electrical pulses. He could barely fight back, while the clamps slid into his body. They began grabbing various areas of his body, before Shadow realized what the doctor was doing. He was taking the Chaos Emeralds!

"No! Stop!" Shadow yelled as he attempted to fight back, growing weaker by the second.

"No, no, Shadow," Robotnik growled, lips curling into a smile, "I won't stop. Not until you die..."

"NO! I said... STOP!" Shadow began turning red, "Stop it! I said... STOP! ERRAAAAGH! CHAOS BLAST!"

By then, only the green Chaos Emerald remained in Shadow's possession. He clawed for it whilst turning red, and held it close to his chest. Robotnik gasped, right when the black and red hedgehog detonated. A red explosion erupted from Shadow's body, shooting out to slam into the Egg Mobile-D's body. It threw the doctor back, and threw Shadow back who flew through the wall from all the force.

"Dammit, Shadow!" Robotnik growled, glaring into the hole while rocks fell all around them, "You little bastard..." when rocks fell on his cockpit, he glared up, "I have six Chaos Emeralds now. I'll come back for the seventh..." he began flying up, "Farewell, Shadow the hedgehog! See you in hell!"

His drills aimed up, and his thrusters ignited. Launching up, he bore through the ceiling to make his escape. Shadow flew through the wall and fell off the other side, still clutching his Chaos Emerald to chest. Too weak to actually move, he simply allowed himself to fall into a deep body of water. He stared up, watching as rocks fell all around him. One came crashing down upon him.

And he couldn't do anything about it.

The Black Wind pushed up his arm to defend himself, which was the best defense he had at the moment. Between the fights and the electrocution, how he remained conscious let alone triggered a Chaos Blast was impressive. And it sapped his strength fully as he laid within the waters below.

Starman...

It was that voice again.

Starman...

He gazed toward the rock falling atop him, noticing this otherworldly shine which descended above him.

"Who... are you...?" he inquired, "Who...?"

The light shined bright, while all of time came to a sudden stop. Something or someone enacted Chaos Control, it would seem. And though Shadow held the Chaos Emerald close to heart, he knew he didn't perform the technique. He continued falling through the underground lake, stopping when his back hit the bottom. And at the bottom, he watched as that light descended to swallow him whole.

Shadow closed his eyes to fight off the light. And then he opened them. No longer did he lay at the bottom of a lake inside Hidden Palace Zone, he was somewhere else. Somewhere outside, with sunny skies overhead. When he pulled up, his eyes fell upon a sanctuary. A pearly white shrine sat before her, one with a large green jewel in the center. Shadow rose an eyebrow in confusion as he got to his feet.

"Okaaaaaay..." the hedgehog murmured, gazing around in pure confusion, "Am I dead and this is heaven... or...?"

Curiosity getting to him, Shadow decided to walk up to the shrine. He trailed up the stairs toward the giant rock, stopping as he stood before it. It looked just like the large rock he walked to in Hidden Palace Zone. Same shine, same size, same everything.

"What's going on here?" Shadow growled, red eyes darting left and right.

"Starman..." that voice called out to him again, this time feeling lively and not like a ghastly echo.

"Who's there!?"

He turned around toward the voice, where to his shock, he found an orange echidna gazing back. She pulled back from his sudden action, while he stared at her with pure confusion. Weren't echidnas extinct? Like, fully extinct? Well, no mobian echidnas, at least. The regular primal kind still existed, of course, but not the race of mobians.

But this right here was a true echidna. From the dread lock hair, the orange fur, the blue eyes, everything. Her clothing wasn't anything Shadow had seen, though. It wasn't modern, and appeared to be from a over centuries ago. There was something distinctively Mayan about her, from her multicolored skirt, the white shirt, not to mention the tiara on her head and various other jewels and gold around her neck and arm.

"Who... who are you?" Shadow asked, dropping his guard around the young girl.

She didn't answer. Not at first, anyway. She instead looked at him, long and hard, with he doing likewise. Neither side said anything, until the echidna walked to him. Shadow – being distrustful as always – walked back. But she kept walking until his back was up against the massive jewel, and she stood in front of him.

"Beautiful, aren't they?" she asked as she touched the green Chaos Emerald in his hands, "The Chaos Emeralds. They really are wondrous things, Starman."

"Why are you calling me that?" Shadow asked, now growing forceful, and making her stare up with gleaming eyes.

"Because I know who you are, Shadow," she claimed, making his stance harden, "More than you know about yourself..."

"How do you know my name?"

"Haven't you ever stared to the nigh sky, and felt more attached to what was up there than what was down here?" the echidna claimed, "Haven't you ever felt like... you've been up there before?"

"What are you talking about!?" Shadow suddenly shouted, growing tired of these games and her words, "Who are you!? Where am I!?"

"I apologize," the echidna said, "I suppose I should tell you my name first..." she placed a hand on her chest, "I'm Tikal. And I do believe we've never met before. Not until now, anyway."

"Where am I?" Shadow asked next, growing less intense.

"I've brought you here to tell you something... to teach you something," the echidna said, "You are the first mobian to step foot in Hidden Palace Zone in over a thousand years. Seven Chaos Emeralds. There are seven Chaos Emeralds. And when you collect all seven, you can obtain unimaginable power."

"How?" he inquired.

"All seven. You must hold all seven," she claimed, "And the powers will fume within you..."

"Ugh!?" Shadow suddenly coughed, falling to his knees. And yet, Tikal didn't seem bothered in the slightest.

"With all seven Chaos Emeralds," the echidna continued, "There's nothing you can't do."

"ARGH!?" Shadow continued to cough, "What's!? What's going on!?"

"The servers are the seven Chaos!" she claimed, "Chaos is power! Power enriched by the heart!"

"What are you talking about!?"

"Chaos is power! Power enriched by the heart!"

"Stop it!" Shadow roared, "Stop it now!"

"Chaos is power! Power enriched by the heart! Chaos is power! Power enriched by the heart! Chaos is power! Power enriched by the heart!"

"Mfff-PLACK!?"

Shadow's eyes grew wide from shock and stress, while he vomited water from his mouth. He suddenly felt incredibly weak, almost to the point that he couldn't stand. He was laying on the ground, coughing and wheezing, spitting up more and more water that laid in his lungs. He stared down to the puddle of water he regurgitated, then laid on his back to catch his breath.

"Wh-what?" he said, finding himself in Hidden Palace Zone once more, though far worse.

The entire zone was destroyed, with rocks on top of rocks. The beauty and majesty of Hidden Palace Zone had been tarnished by the boulders that fell from the ceiling. Only this area was saved; the chamber which held the large emerald-like stone. But how did he get back there when he surely should have been drowning at the bottom of the lake?

"Huh, wha?" he said, putting his hand on his chest, while he got on all fours, "Rouge!?"

He turned to face his right, where his eyes fell on legs. He looked up, seeing the bat completely drenched, panting for air like she was out for a run. She stared at him with her teal eyes, before her lips curled into a smile.

"Thank goodness you're alive," she claimed, "Oh... Shadow..."

"Rouge..." he answered.

She gave him her hand, and he took it without hesitation. Pulled to his feet, the hedgehog realized that was the second time Rouge helped him stand today. He owned her for that.

"Well... this is it," Rouge said in a somewhat bittersweet tone, "Hidden Palace Zone. The entire reason why we came here. Gone... heh... ironic, ain't it..." she put her hand on her forehead and looked down to the ground with defeat, then shook her head at the situation, "Now what?"

"The Chaos Emeralds...?" Shadow replied, making Rouge look at him.

"Gone," she replied, "Robotnik took the ones we had. Save for the green one..." Shadow lifted it, "He now has six Chaos Emeralds..."

"Dammit..." the Black Wind cursed, "This... this is my fault... I should've fought harder! I should've-"

"Stop blaming yourself, Shadow!" Rouge yelled, "It's not your fault. There was nothing we could do; Robotnik already knew where Hidden Palace Zone was before we even got here. Before we even touched upon the island. He has an army, time, and resources. The fact that we got this far into West Side Island at all... it shows how strong we are. Or lucky..."

"Rouge..." Shadow replied, somewhat solemnly.

"What?" she asked, somewhat annoyed and snappy.

"Thank you..." he said, making her loosen up on that defeated demeanor, "Thanks for all your help. Since the very beginning, you've helped me get through all the zones, even if you didn't want to. And now look. We're in Hidden Palace Zone, and it's nothing like we expected. Or it was, but not anymore... huh... Rouge...?"

"Yes, Shadow?"

"You were right, from before..." he answered, "My fight with Robotnik is my fight. Not yours. It was wrong of me to bring you into it. I apologize for that."

"Shadow, what are you going on about?"

"I'm afraid this is where you and I part ways..." he ultimately answered, making Rouge gasp, "We've found Hidden Palace Zone, which is what you wanted to do. Me, I must keep going. I have to go and get the Chaos Emeralds from Robotnik and stop him. Alone..."

"But, Shadow!" Rouge stated, running up to him, "He'll kill you! We were able to get this far because we worked together, not apart! Are you really trying to stop all that now!"

"Darnit Rouge!" he retorted, anger on his face, "Can't you see what I'm doing!?" he started calming down, "I'm trying here. I'm really trying here! One of the worst things I saw when Robotnik took over South Island, is when he roboticized my family. Seeing that happen... it killed me inside. I was able to make it better with the Chaos Emeralds, but it was still a close call. I don't want to watch anything happen to you, okay? Especially if it can be avoided. I'm going to fight Robotnik, by myself."

"Shadow..."

"Don't try to talk me out of this..." he said, lifting the green Chaos Emerald high, "I've made up my mind. Now let's get out of here..."

He looked at Rouge and she looked back. In his eyes, there sat so much resolve. He had come to terms with his decision; there was no changing his mind. That was one thing Rouge always admired in her ally; his dedication. No matter what, he was going to succeed. No matter what.

She stood next to him, ready to be whisked away by his power. But before he yelled out his command, he said something.

"I taste cherries..."

"I had to resuscitate you somehow..." she replied.

"Ugh... CHAOS! CONTROL!"

Hidden Palace Zone completed.

Next stop, Oil Ocean Zone.


	11. Oil Oasis Zone

Oil Oasis Zone

"Shadow! Shadow!" the bat shouted as the shine ended.

She remembered falling, straight on her face actually. It kinda hurt, but the fall was cushioned by soft grass and – let's be truthfully honest – her chest. The white-furred bat rolled onto her back, groaning while she rubbed her face. Teal eyes relayed the image of the setting sky. The bat pulled herself up, still somewhat frazzled and dazed from the sudden impact of falling. She looked around her immediate area, realizing she had fallen into some forest-like zone. A few moments later, the bat came to realize she now sat in Wood Zone.

Rouge pulled herself up, a pain still throbbing through her chest, though she was alright. It didn't take her long to realize yet another important detail; she was all alone. The brooding hedgehog she had come to know as Shadow was nowhere near her; his statement proved to be true.

He had decided to go on without her.

Rouge stood up to her feet, where she gripped her arm with a certain kind of longing to her. Naturally good at hiding her feelings, she would let her guard down when alone. And right now – being all alone in Wood Zone – she felt her tough visage finally crumble. Her mission was simple – and it had been accomplished; she was able to make way to Hidden Palace Zone. But along the way, adventuring with Shadow, fighting Badniks, collecting the Chaos Emeralds, it all felt kinda fun. Sure, she originally didn't want to fight Robotnik – and still doesn't – but she couldn't deny the fact that a lot of good had been done. The many zones they traveled through were liberated of Robotnik's evil control, all thanks to their tenacity and skill in battle. Not to mention the fact that they grew closer as a result; she had learned so much more about Shadow during their adventure than she ever had before.

So being left behind like this kinda hurt. But, hey, it was his nature. She had also learned that about him, during their time together. He'd rather be cold and alone than to be warm and with friends. Why? Probably because danger and destruction follows him around like bees to honey. In his own deranged way, he was protecting her. Keeping her far from the unholy destruction he was about to meet out upon Robotnik and his machines.

But to hell with that! Who was going to protect him? Who was going to keep Shadow all in one piece so he could go back home safe and sound? Who was going to make sure he didn't get shot in the back, or injured in some ungodly manner? Whether Shadow wanted to admit it or not, they got this far together. Not separately. And while he may think he's the ultimate life form, he's not.

He's just a mobian. A very powerful mobian who wields power over time and space yeah, but a mobian nonetheless. And sometimes, he just needs to be reminded of that.

Rouge's wings flapped as she hovered in the air, face hard yet determined. Determined to do what? Why simple; she was determined to bring a certain hedgehog down a few pegs. Even if he didn't want to.

…

Okay, he thought Mystic Cave Zone was hot. And it was; being deep down underground, it did get incredibly hot with varying pockets of cool airs coming every now and then. But, yeah, it was incredibly hot. However, Mystic Cave Zone was nothing compared to Dust Hill Zone. Well, at least in its desert form. The burning heat, the blistering sun, the flaming sands; it made for an arid zone that felt like the surface of the sun. In his entire life, he never suffered through an area as hot as Dust Hill Zone.

Until now.

Shadow has entered Oil Ocean Zone.

Was it the sun that melted him to his core? Or was it the endless seas of black gunk surrounding him that made it so unbearable? Quite possibly, could it be the hazardous and unsafe pipes that constantly spat fire into the skies? Those too made the temperature jump to unsightly levels.

The ruby eyes of the Black Wind panned around in a circular fashion, giving him all the information he needed. Oil Ocean Zone was once known as Golden Bay Zone. A zone sitting on the largest bay on all of West Side Island. Here it was, replaced by the largest oil refinery in known existence. It stretched on for miles, spewing toxic fumes and liquids into the air and waters, all the while the incredible heat index bore down upon them.

This was Hell. Pure and simple. The sulfuric acids, the insane heat, the knowledge that an sociopath madman was ruler behind it all; Hell. Pure and simple. So that would make Shadow – the Black Wind – Dante in this story. Braving the rings of Hell or Zones in this instance to face the Devil at the far end of it.

Shadow glared down toward the many ramps and highways of Oil Ocean Zone with a pit in his heart. Golden Bay Zone was where his parents had their honeymoon. Or so his mom often tells him. It could have been Neo Green Hill Zone for all he knows. The point is, Golden Bay Zone was known for its beauty region wide. But now, tainted and marred by Eggman Industries, it looked horrendous. Shadow would rectify that.

He started running upon the metal flooring, air shoes slowly igniting as he picked up speed. However, some of his sparks met upon oil which immediately burst into flames. Shocked by the sight, Shadow used his impressive speed to blow out the flames. He knew Robotnik cared little for the environment, but this was just plain stupid. Any one of those pipes that spewed fire could set this zone ablaze.

To stop such a thing from happening (could you imagine all of Oil Ocean Zone on fire?), Shadow figured it was best not to use his air shoes. Which sounded like pure hypocrisy to Shadow, but hey, when in Rome Zone.

He started running along the metallic paths, hearing his feet go 'click clack' against the ground. Though he had no clear idea of where he was going, he knew all paths would lead to Robotnik sooner or later. He ran along oil oozing pipelines, leaping from one to another with amazing leaps and graceful strides. Air shoes or not, he appeared vastly capable of dealing with the extreme terrain, as he hadn't missed one step.

Until the ocean of oil around him began stirring. Too busy gazing ahead, he hadn't noticed the small yellow spheres which launched out the oil behind him. The Black Wind continued running, picking up speed as he did so. The yellow spheres uncurled themselves, revealing themselves to be more than just bouncing circles.

They were oddly familiar. Appearing as faux versions of wonderful sea creatures. Their backs held spiked fins, along with the rest of their sterling gold body. Their snouts, long and skinny, along with their tails. They were sea horses, only created with metal instead of flesh. As Shadow rushed down the catwalks of the oil refinery as fast as he could, they kept their eyes forever glued upon him.

…

"The Aquis Unit in Oil Ocean Zone has located a certain rat, Ivo..." the woman claimed, via hovering disembodied voice, "Bringing it on screen."

He wasn't even paying that much attention. Instead, his ship was howling through the skies, roaring at mach 3 speeds. He had done it, he had finally done it! He collected those six mystical stones that evaded him for far too long. All of them were now within his ship, resting comfortably, ready to have their hidden powers unlocked for the taking.

Dr. Ivo Robotnik had killed his most hated enemy and taken the most powerful items in the entire universe for himself. Or so he believed. Listening to Maria's words, it didn't take him too long to figure out who she was talking about. And once that screen appeared on his cockpits window, he sighed.

"Shadow, Shadow, Shadow," Robotnik bemoaned, "I drop an entire zone upon your head, and yet you persist. When will you learn?"

"Further commands, Doctor?"

"Destroy him," he stated easily, "He is weak and... hello, what's this?" he peered harder at the screen, noticing something important as he watched Shadow run. The Black Wind was alone. There was no Rouge backing up his antics, giving him the support he relied on throughout the entire adventure. Seeing that made Robotnik smile. Sadistically, might I add, "What's wrong, Shadow? Decided to continue on alone? You fool! Maria! Prepare the Death Egg! We have what we need! And send Shadow something special."

"Yes! Doctor!"

…

The Aquis fired. From the snout of the sea-horse like Badniks, bullets rang out. Shadow hadn't noticed until that familiar POW! sound echoed into his ears. Naturally he jumped out of the way, dodging the first hail of gunfire and turning to fight back. But the Aquis curled back into balls to harmlessly fall into the seas of the oil refinery.

Shadow lifted his fists and walked back, stopping only when he met a tall structure reaching into the sky. Naturally, he dashed up the girder, leaping between beams and walls with amazing skill before reaching the very top. Now standing on the very top, he placed his hand above his eyes to get a better gaze at the zone all around him.

Only to hear metal bending beneath his feet. Staggered, Shadow gazed down and watched a purple tentacle ripped through the oils beneath to wrap around the metallic pole he stood upon. The tendril clenched upon the large beam, bending with with its great power and causing the structure to bend down. Quickly leaping to safer ground, Shadow watched as the beast pulled itself up.

It was large, purple, and just like the Aquis before, a Badnik created to mimic sea life. In this case, a great octopus. Shadow stared at the Badnik and it stared back, only to quickly retreat into the oceans below. As soon as it did so, another school of Aquis leaped from the ocean to fire upon him.

The Black Wind dodged left and right, leaping from object to object while bullets fell upon him. Powers in hand, he swatted at the sky and sent Chaos Spears heading their way. Many Aquis erupted into explosions, which set the oils below ablaze as well. To Shadow's horror, the area of the zone he stood in suddenly erupted into flames, all of which flying skyward. He quickly skated up a wall, getting as high as he could to avoid the fires. When he thought he was safe, the long tendrils of the octopus Badnik reached up again. Upon doing so, he got a good look at its name.

'Octus' it would seem.

Shadow leaped back as high as he could, hand surging yellow with power. He fired a series of Chaos Spears at it, all of which couldn't pierce its tempered-steel hide. Now falling toward the flaming pit below, Shadow's air shoes ignited and pushed him further up and away. He landed upon another building with Octus still chasing him. The Badnik easily destroyed the building with a simple swipe, causing another building to fall into the blazing sea below.

Shadow landed on a bridge hovering above the flames of Oil Ocean Zone, feeling cornered as he stared up to the mighty Octus. Suddenly turning red however, he used the powers of his Chaos Emerald to enhance his Chaos Boost. Power at its peaked, he immediately flew toward Octus with fists forward. Halfway through, he began spinning in air, where his powerful body penetrated its face. With ease, Shadow destroyed the Badnik thanks to his powerful spin shot, ripping through it and sending pieces flying everywhere. Multiple explosions befell the Badnik, and ran the entire gambit up and down its body. The beast eventually fell, crashing down into the blazing oils below. And, honestly, another exploding Badnik probably didn't help the already burning zone.

The Black Wind fell upon a rooftop, powering down after his powerful rush. He turned around and glared down to Oil Ocean Zone below, breathing hard with his hand on his chest.

"Few..." he grumbled, feeling sweat fall from his brow as the heat got to him.

Being brutally honest with himself, would this have been so hard with Rouge's help? He was a firm believer in the idea that numbers don't equal strength. That was something he and Rouge easily proved correct by blowing through hundreds of Badniks with time to spare. Only the two of them.

"I can't be getting sentimental right now," Shadow claimed as he stood up, albeit weakly, "Gotta keep goin'..."

He jumped upon a wire, one that delved straight into the blazing inferno below. Sliding down the metal covered thread, he ground his way into the very furnace of Hell. Flames exploded and danced all around him, but he ignored it as he kept his eyes trained forward. Some streams of fire jumped over his railing, forcing him to leap over them with precision and land just as expertly. The wiring suddenly aimed up, bringing Shadow out of the flames and instead to the catwalks which hovered suspended over the polluted bay.

He immediately began skating again, picking up speed to outrunning the inferno behind him. From those flames, more Aquis leaped out. They began firing upon the hedgehog, who countered naturally with well aimed and well thrown Chaos Spears. When they were destroyed, another school of Aquis would replace them.

"Dammit!" he grunted, throwing blasts which curled to meet their targets, "They just keep coming!"

Suddenly, he started moving back even though he was standing still. Shadow turned around, watching as a bizarre yellow and green cannon device began sucking him in. It jutted out from the wall, and appeared to be some sort machine used for transportation. Whatever it was, Shadow wanted no business with it. He kicked up his feet and ignited his air shoes, but it was too late. Shadow curled into a ball instinctively as the cannon swallowed him whole, where it began twirling him inside violently.

"Ouch! Ooof! The heck!? Augh!? What!?"

THOOP!

Shadow – to his own surprise – found himself launched sky high. Before he could react, he was swallowed by another green/yellow checkered cannon.

"Ouch! Oof!? Urgh!? Augh!? What!? Again!?"

THOOP!

Once more, he was launched from the cannon at incredible speeds. However, unlike the first time, he wasn't safely launched into another cannon. Instead, the Black Wind flew straight toward a wall.

BANG! POW! BURNG! PLACK!

"Ugh..."

You know how painful it is to be shot at a wall so hard you crash through it? Well, Shadow did now. He struggled to his hands and knees after flying through a steel wall at high speeds, pain rumbling through his entire body. Gazing up, he realized he was inside a hall, somewhere deeper in the zone. There didn't appear to be any Badniks around, which was good for him.

He got to his feet and caught his breath, then started running down the hall. It only took a few seconds before he was back out into the blistering heat of Oil Ocean Zone, the setting sun baring down on him, and the pollution getting to his body. The only difference between this part of the zone and the last part was the fact that he ocean beneath him was once more oil, and not fire. Guess that means he was now in Act 2.

Shadow has entered Act 2.

The Black Wind darted down a ramp, running instead of skating to avoid yet another fire ocean. Just like in the Act before, Aquis erupted from the oil ocean, just to fire upon him with their bullet noses. But instead of destroying them via Chaos Spear, the Black Wind scoffed and vanished into a blur. Seconds later, those same blurs destroyed the Aquis one by one. When the school was annihilated, Shadow reappeared on the walkway.

"Is that your best!" Shadow scoffed, lips curling in a cocky smile as he felt pleased with his work, "I was kinda hoping for something... tougher..."

RRREWWWAAAARRRRRR!

He turned around, watching as the ocean began to stir and part. The Black Wind watched with wide eyes as a grand Badnik – a purple octopus – arose from deep within. The very same octopus Badnik he destroyed in the first Act. It even sported the same hole, one the hedgehog could actually stare through.

Shadow was surprised, by not threatened. He merely crossed his arms at the sight of the grand Octus, while he glared at it. It glared back down at him with its eyes a deadly glare. Despite the hole through its body, the Badnik didn't appear dysfunctional in any way. It rose a tendril and dropped it on Shadow's position, who easily dodged it by vanishing into a blur. However, Octus' sensors appeared to be greater than he believed. Even as he sped away, another tendril trapped him in place. Shadow come to a dead stop right in front of the tentacle, while Octus brought its mouth close to him. He glared into Octus' mouth, before the Badnik showed him with a burning stream of oil.

Or so it thought.

Shadow suddenly leaped through the oil stream, covered by a red aura. Appearing as a bright burning ember, Shadow leaped between buildings faster than what the human eye could see. He stopped on one of the buildings, still exuding this red aura around his body. Octus glared at him and struck the building, causing it to topple over. Instead of being crushed by the falling debris, Shadow launched himself into the hole he made in Octus' body in the first place.

"This time! I'm finishing you for good!" the hedgehog roared as he curled up into a ball, "CHAOS BLAST!"

With his mighty roar he flung out his arms and limbs, triggering a violent blast within Octus. It was at first small, but red lights began to appear within the lines of the Badnik's plating. Its body then began quaking, as if an uncontrollable force was attempting to escape it. Fruitlessly, Octus swatted at its own body in an attempt to force its own body back into place. That didn't work.

CHEEN! CHEEN! CHEEN! CHEEN! The lights roared as they appeared on his body, one by one, CHEEN! CHEEN! CHEEN! CHEEN! Octus suddenly expanded, as it could no longer hold the force roaring within its body, BUUURRRRRSSSSHHHH!

Octus' entire body detonated as a red blast erupted from within. The part of the zone was even blown away from the red field of energy, either being evaporated or thrown miles away from force. The only thing that remained was the hedgehog who caused it all. Shadow remained in the center, floating there as his energies faded away, only to fall from exhaustion moments later.

Maybe he expanded a tad bit too much power in his blast.

Before falling – and surely drowning – into the ocean of oil below, Shadow regain control of his senses. He quickly vanished, reappearing some yards away on solid metal land, still exhausted from his blast. He tried to get to his feet, only to be punished further for his foolish over exertion.

Why had he done such a thing? Simple; Octus simply wouldn't die if he hadn't. The Badnik survived a blow through the head by a powerful homing attack; a Chaos Blast from the inside was the perfect remedy for the situation.

Shadow worked his way onto his feet, slowly realizing just how drained he was. He hadn't slept since completing Wood Zone, and it sure did feel it. Mystic Cave Zone and Hidden Palace Zone really drained him, especially when considering the two fights he had with Robotnik's Egg Mobiles in both. Now, making his way through an Act of Oil Ocean Zone, Shadow felt more drained than ever.

But he kept going, even when everything about him screamed 'get some rest'. He stood up, and started walking along Oil Ocean Zone's walkways. He took his time and didn't run, giving his body at least some time to recuperate. He eventually took to leaning up against a wall, breathing hard to regain some lost energy.

But rest would be denied him once more.

Shadow's red eyes picked up movement out in the ocean. He immediately got battle ready, fists clenched, teeth bare in full. Certain waves began to glide and separate in specific manner, as if there was movement beneath the sea. He thought it was another Aquis unit, or perhaps even a Badnik type he hadn't seen before.

Instead, he saw the gleaming color of silver being reflected into the sky. It was followed by a chrome dome, and a single red optic. Said optic glared at Shadow, before descending into the oceans. The Black Wind groaned; he knew what he was dealing with now.

An Egg Mobile Unit.

Imagine the Egg Mobile-S from Hill Top Zone. Imagine stronger, faster, more resilient. Capable of not only withstanding the heat of lava, but also the degradation of pollution for years on end. Imagine capable of withstanding a blast powered by three Chaos Emeralds. That's what Robotnik set out to create when it came to the Egg Mobile-S Mk. II. And despite being a Beta-state creation, it was still far more powerful than the original Egg Mobile-S

Tasked with guarding Oil Ocean Zone, the Egg Mobile glared upon Shadow with its unwavering optic. The hedgehog glared back, teeth grinding into one another, hand cackling with power.

The Egg Mobile-S Mk. II quickly dove back into the ocean. Shadow was now on high alert, knowing that at any moment, the machine could suddenly attack. And it did.

From the waves, a spear was suddenly launched at Shadow. He ducked down and it flew over his head, missing a clear beheading. Shadow stared back into the oceans while the Egg Mobile-S rose to the surface. Shadow leaped to strike it, but the machine quickly dove back into the ocean. Thus, the Black Wind landed into the oceans, sinking slowly as he thrashed about.

Some yards away, the Egg Mobile-S appeared, as if it teleported away. To Shadow's horror, it began gliding towards him at amazing speeds. He pulled on his limbs to escape the zone's oils, only to realize it wasn't working. After closing his eyes and thinking on his position, he knew what he had to do.

His shoes ignited. The oils ignited.

A mighty explosion roared under his feet, launching the hedgehog sky high. It burned with pain as he was caught on fire as well, but a quick curl and uncurl at high speeds doused out the flames. Shadow landed upon another building, glaring down to the fires below. He was assured the Egg Mobile-S was among them, and surely destroyed by the fire. He didn't know it was designed to withstand such extremes. One way of surviving fire? Flying above said fire.

Shadow stared up, where his eyes caught a gleam. The silver body of the Egg Mobile-S Mk. II was reflecting the glare of the setting sun. It approached Shadow, who gritted his teeth. He called upon the powers of Chaos to forge a spear, though unlike his usual kind, he didn't toss it. Instead, he weilded the off-colored green-yellow blast in hand, and stalked the Egg Mobile-S as it suddenly rushed him. He leaped at the machine and landed on its hull, though it still had enough force to bring him along for a tackle. They flew above Oil Ocean Zone at high speeds, with Shadow clinging to the Egg Mobile-S for dear life. He rose his Chaos Spear in hand, clenched it to the point that he could feel it burning his palm through his glove, then delved it down upon the Egg Mobile-S's chrome head.

It didn't do a damn thing. But the Black Wind was a persistent fellow. He slammed his javelin into the Egg Mobile's head, over and over again, growling fervently while his rage was pressed. A slot on the back end of the Egg Mobile-S opened up, and a gun barrel rose out. Said gun barrel – still attached to the Egg Mobile via a series of wires – aimed down at Shadow.

It fired, but Shadow moved his released one grip on the machine, now hanging with one. He dodged the first blast, but the Egg Mobile-S aimed the next shot at his body instead of his hand. The hedgehog growled then fumed red, cladding him in a shield made of his aura. But this was no bullet the Egg Mobile-S fired, but instead a blue laser blast.

It struck his body, the impact dislodging his hand, and sending him crashing to the earth. He fell upon a building, back first, growling with pain. He rubbed the area where he was shot, a stinging pain running through his limb. It appeared as if lasers could break through his Chaos Boost's defensive aura, unlike bullets.

Something to take note of for the future.

The Egg Mobile-S Mk. II descended to be on the same plane of Shadow, hovering above the burning fire raging below. Shadow growled again, body tensing, now hardened and ready for a fight. The slots on the body of the Egg Mobile-S opened up, and a cannon slid out. The next second, the machine's thrusters ignited, and it rushed for the Black Wind. Shadow's arm suddenly turned red as he fumed all his rage into his arm, charging up a Chaos Spear of destructive proportions. He lobbed it at the machine gunning for him, his blast slamming into it's side. Though the attack wasn't strong enough to damage the beast, it was strong enough to change its course.

The Egg Mobile-S started going at an angle then, though it was quickly readjusting its course. In that moment, Shadow created a sphere of Chaos, and threw himself at the machine. He landed upon the Egg Mobile-S's back, where it began to twirl in an attempt to throw him off. Still wielding his sphere of Chaos, Shadow glared down at the slot which held the machine's cannon. It aimed at him, but he threw the ball into the Egg Mobile-S's gun slot.

Suddenly, the Egg Mobile-S's bladed tendril struck at Shadow, just barely missing him. The strike did cause him to leap off and back. He smiled as he did so, his index and middle fingers pointed at the Egg Mobile as he fell down to the inferno below.

"NOW EXPAND!" he shouted, "CHAOS BALL!"

He lifted his fingers to the sky, causing a light to glow within the Egg Mobile-S's armor. His Chaos Ball suddenly detonated by growing in side. It was like its own mobile Chaos Blast, only smaller and not as powerful. But inside the body of the Egg Mobile-S Mk. II, it was capable of doing considerable damage.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOOOOOOOM!

His attack triggered a series of explosions that roared along the side of the machine, destroying that entire side of the Egg Mobile. The gun slot was gone, and now the Egg Mobile held a large chuck of it missing. It continued hovering in the area, though extensive damage had been done to it.

Shadow landed on a platform jutting out from the flames, while the Egg Mobile-S Mk. II descended into the flames below. The hedgehog glared down into the fire, wondering when his opponent would rise again. But all remained quiet and extremely hot. How long was the setting sun going to remain up high?

Not for long. It appeared behind him, hovering slowly, silently. Shadow didn't even know it was there, while the Egg Mobile-S readied its spiked tendril. It aimed the spear at the hedgehog's back, while he continued looking into the fire for his foe.

It launched it's blade. Shadow's eyes grew wide. He could feel the wind breaking as the blade sliced through the air. Just barely, he jutted to the left, dodging the spear. But its blade struck his arm, creating a wound which began bleeding profusely. Shadow clenched his wound and fell to his knees, breathing hard from shock and exhaustion. But he couldn't recuperate any further.

The Egg Mobile-S rushed for him, and he jumped over it. Landing again, the pain continued running through his limb. How was he going to contend with both the machine and his limb? It was at this point he began to wish Rouge was here. This fight – while still being a challenge – would've been easier to deal with if Rouge was here. Hell, it probably would've been destroyed by now.

The Egg Mobile-S Mk. II turned around and faced him, just as disheveled as he was. It's wound was still sparking with electricity and flames, matching Shadow who leaked blood. Both both refused to be bested by the other; they would keep going.

The Egg Mobile-S Mk. II activated it's thrusters, though it continued hovering in place. It was about to rush Shadow, who got down in a track star's position. He too was ready to fight, though with a smirk on his face.

"You have no idea what you're up against," he claimed, smiling with a cocky swagger.

The Egg Mobile-S rushed for him, moving faster than it ever did before. Shadow too ran for the beast, though his body was glowing yellow. He moved so fast, it appeared as if he were flying above the ground.

At super sonic speeds, Shadow's body collided with the Egg Mobile-S Mk. II's body. The collision roared aloud, while an explosion erupted. A large plume of fire and smog hovered in the air, with debris raining all around. And from this cloud of destruction, a yellow light appeared on the other end. The light died out, revealing the Black Wind.

He was hunched over on the other end, hand on the ground, posed in such a way it was stylistic. He breathed hard after the collision, whilst gazing up to the skies. By now, the sun laid on the horizon, and night was beginning to arrive. And yet the flames of Oil Ocean Zone still raged. Until the zone's counter measure activated.

All around him, sprinklers activated. They sprayed water all around the zone, attempting to fight off the fire that had taken over. Shadow stood up and said nothing, as he instead allowed the cold water to fall upon his flesh. It felt far better than he could have ever imagined. It brought a smile to his lips.

Oil Ocean Zone was over; he fought his way through. He was tired, weak, and battle warned. Now would be wise time to get some rest. He could hear Rouge in his ears, say something flirty, then grow serious as she checks up on him. He'd rebuff her advances, say they needed to keep going, but she'd put her foot down. He couldn't fight against her if she did that.

But Rouge wasn't here. There was no one to stop him from keeping on. So he kept moving. Even though he needed the rest, he kept going. Robotnik was near, he could feel the evil doctor's presence. Rest would have to wait until later.

After all, there's no rest for the wicked.

Shadow grabbed his arm, trying to hold tight the blood leaking out of his limb. He didn't run out of the zone however, instead walking. He'd take his time for just a little bit, before running again.

…

"Shadow's chances of victory are... minimal..." Maria claimed, eyes on the screen directly before her, "Victory rate has decreased marginally since Rouge's departure. Originally, Shadow's chance of defeating us was 47%, but has now changed to a meager 19%. At this rate, he'll never stop us. With the Death Egg's launch, there's no chance of victory."

"Perhaps..." the dictator claimed, "But time is still of the essence, Maria dear. Shadow has evaded death so far, I have little reason to believe he's going down as easily as we assume. But you are correct; upon the Death Egg's launch, there is very little the Black Wind can do to stop us. Maria... assess the Death Egg."

"All provisions are a go," she replied, "Enough fuel was gained from Oil Ocean Zone to charge the Death Egg for years before it would need to be filled up again. The outer hull has been finished, and the Roboticizer ray is complete. And..." she turned and smiled at him, "The Egg Emperor Unit has been completed, Robotnik. It's ready to go when you are."

"Hmmm..." Robotnik mumbled, eyes on the Death Egg outside his massive window, "Maria. Have the Egg Emperor moved to the Death Egg."

"But, that will push the launch back a few hours, Ivo," she said, somewhat stunned by his request, "Is this really what you want?"

"It is," Robotnik said, smile on his face, "Call it a premonition of some sort. After all, other than our little toy soldier, the Death Egg has very little in the way of defenses... hm..."

Maria nodded at him, then immediately turned into nothing to perform his commands. Robotnik turned around in his chair, facing out the window once more. He could see the Death Egg there, half underground, half above ground, getting plastered by the rain above. His eyes gleamed a bright red, while his lips curled into a powerful smile.

"Yes, yes, oh that's good," he said dementedly, smile growing to the point that it was monstrous, "Maria, I'm pushing up the launch of the Death Egg. Once the Egg Emperor is aboard, we will start the launch. Understand?"

"Yes, doctor."

…

Shadow walked through the industrial compound, a rag on his arm. It was healing his wound, and stopping him from breathing so profusely. As of then, he felt far more energized than he was before; call it cockiness, but he felt like he could easily take on one hundred Badniks by himself.

Then the earth began shaking. Shadow stared down to the ground, feeling it rumble beneath his feet. The hedgehog clenched upon a concrete wall as he looked around, wondering what was causing the quake. There were no major threats around, save for the occasional Badnik he needed to destroy every now and then. But none of those were strong enough to trigger shake this strong.

"Shadow," his voice rang out through the zone's horns, "I know you're here, Shadow. I can see you, even from here. Ever wondered what it felt like to go into space? I dreamed of such a thing, day in and day out. I dreamed of a day where everything was under my watchful eye."

"You're a madman, Doctor!" Shadow shouted, fist clenched, "Show yourself so I can end you!"

"Oh, I will, Shadow," Robotnik claimed, before giving an ominous chuckle, "I will... sooner than you think."

The shaking earth grew worse and worse, as if it were breaking apart. Shadow stared to the horizon of where he stood, his ruby eyes cutting through the industrial complex that was greater in size than some of the major cities. And somewhere, deep inside the zone, there was something rising. He could see the black image of a great spherical machine slowly rising into the sky. He was so far away, he could barely tell it was.

This machine flew higher and higher into the sky, dragging on times for minutes upon minutes. Shadow tried walking toward it, but the force of the machine's titanic thrusters pushed him back, even from this distance.

"The glorious Eggman Empire will rise, Shadow the hedgehog!" Robotnik claimed as the station hovered higher and higher, "And, starting with West Side Island, the entire world will know what it means to be apart of my regime! Those who fight back will be roboticized! Say hello! To the Death Egg!"

Shadow watched with horror as the doctor's massive space station flew into the sky. It was a large black spherical machine, one that bore a striking resemblance to the doctor in question. The four rockets it used to fly into the sky detached themselves from the Death Egg itself, as it was propelled into the planet's orbit. All the while, the doctor's maddening laugh echoed throughout the entire zone.

"You're mad, Robotnik!" he roared, "You're simply mad!"

No longer wasting time, he suddenly skated forward at blinding speeds.

Oil Ocean Zone complete.

Now entering Metropolis Zone.


	12. Metropolis Zone

Metropolis Zone

This was it; the whole shebang. The curtain call. The finale. The last lap. The last inning. The last quarter. The final zone.

So much blood sweat and tears led him through this entire adventure, from the first zone to the last. He had been all over South Island, all by himself. From the sunny hills of Green Hill Zone, to the ancient ruins of Marble Zone, to sparkling city of Spring Yard Zone, to the underground maze of Labyrinth Zone, and lastly to the grand city that was Star Light Zone. This all led him here, to the torturous hell that's Scrap Brain Zone. Dr. Robotnik's capital on South Island.

The young hedgehog felt a burning power resonate deep within his body, as he stood on the very edge of the zone. The doctor had lights glaring into the sky, a sky that was turned blood red by the deadly gasses hovering around. Deep inside, there were so many robots walking left and right, performing various tasks and duties. They walked with incredibly dangerous materials; saw-blades on the walls, lighting rods that surged with electricity, pipes that spewed fire, and so many conveyor belts.

From sight alone, he knew it would be unlike any zone he fought his way through before. The number of Badniks in this zone easily outnumbered the number of Badniks in every other zone added together. The many traps laid and other hazardous machines didn't make the zone look any less daunting either.

Any sane mobian would've turned back at this very moment. He had a good run, after all. But this Zone was clearly out of his league. However, he didn't give up. He was capable of fighting his way through every zone so far by himself, why would he start now? He could see the look on that stupid doctors face right now, fuming with rage. Despite his great army, he was incapable of killing one simple mobian. A mobian who now held all six Chaos Emeralds.

Shadow the hedgehog glared down into the zone with eyes of hatred and rage. The doctor thought he could take over his home with his robots and machines, and think no one was going to fight back against him? He thought wrong. He made a powerful enemy when he subjugated his family and his friends to all of this. And now he was going to suffer.

They gave him a name, thanks to his valiant efforts. The Black Wind. All of it because of his speed. And he was going to show the doctor just how fast he could be!

Shadow the hedgehog has entered Metropolis Zone.

He skated faster than he ever had before, roaring into the zone like a bullet. After watching that monstrosity fly into the heavens like it did, he felt every muscle in his body twitch with fear. The idea of Dr. Robotnik having a floating death station in space, unable to be reached by anything, was a thought he didn't want in his head. He was going to bring that so called 'Death Egg' down to the ground with his bare hands if he had to!

He propelled himself through a metal ball, sending metal shards flying in all directions. Landing inside, he could already feel an increased level of heat resonating throughout these halls. All around him, the hedgehog could hear machines endlessly churning away. Walking to the edge of the platform he stood upon, his ruby eyes glared down to the buildings far below him. And down bellow, there were so many Badniks. They filled the halls like blood in one's veins, working over and over again with no end in sight.

Gazing down upon it, he immediately had flash backs to Scrap Brain Zone. His hands curled into fists while he glared down upon it all, and he squeezed them tightly. Scoffing at the sight, the hedgehog immediately leaped down into the zone beneath him. The Black Wind landed upon another platform; a long strip hovering in the center of molten steel. The flowing lava constantly popped like bubbles, but Shadow ignored it. Instead, his invasion was met with action by the Badniks approaching him. He just ignored them.

A sudden burst of speed, and Shadow was enveloped in a yellow aura. He easily skated through the Badniks like they were paper, his body steamrolling through them like a train. They were crushed and thrown aside upon meeting him, being destroyed one by one. He rolled through a door, one that slid shut as soon as he passed it. Not paying attention, the hedgehog instead rushed through a hallway with the ceiling falling upon him. Upon realizing this, he leaped clear of the hall, landing instead on his chest.

POW!

If he were still in there, he'd be crushed; no doubt in that. Getting back to his feet, he found himself staring down a Badnik. It was crablike, with one small arm, and a large, over-sized one. The machine aimed said small arm at Shadow and fired.

He dodged it just in time; the fist flew into the floor, where it created a sizable dent. It then flew itself back to the Badnik via a wire, which reconnected it to its arm socket. Annoyed, Shadow quickly leaped upon the Badnik, destroying it with a mighty press. He had very little time to act however, as an elevator suddenly slid down. Inside said elevator, a group of these 'Shellcracker' Badnik types. Shadow grunted, then flung an enhanced Chaos Spear their way.

The red lance triggered an explosion, one which sent their red and white shells flying in all directions. He then ran into the elevator, only to discover it wasn't an elevator, but instead a high-speed transport tube. The device sucked him inside, forced him into a ball, and then sent him hurtling somewhere else in the zone.

When Shadow landed on the other side, it was face first. He groaned a bit and rubbed his face, only to gaze up. Standing before him was yet another Badnik. This one, though, was different. Green, it stood tall on silver legs. A praying mantis like being, it had two scythes that it held up high with deadly intentions.

Shadow got to his feet, fists at the ready. The Badnik glared at him, eyes flaring yellow. It ran at the Black Wind and slashed with its blade, who dodged it with ease. He countered with a chop to its neck, sending it stepping back. The Badnik wasn't finished though, as it quickly returned to strike him. Its blades slashed at Shadow's body in varying degrees, making him dodge left, right, up, and down. He quickly countered with a powerful punch to its chest, a punch which tore through its entire body. Not pleased with simply impaling the Badnik on his fist, the Black Wind clenched his fists and ground the dimensions with his palm. This triggered a distortion which destroyed the Badnik, sending its pieces flying in many directions.

Shadow pulled back, eyes on his work, before turning around. And directly behind this Badnik – whose name is 'Slicer' by the way – there was another group of the same Badniks. They quickly rose their blades and threw them at the hedgehog, who dashed through them with a burst of speed. Their blades bounced off his body thanks to the sonic boost he performed, while he destroyed their bodies.

A few seconds of boosting, and Shadow found himself skidding to a halt. The platform he ran upon suddenly ended, over looking a large body of lava. Buckets were dipping into the lava below, scooping them up and lifting them high to bring them to other buckets. These other buckets would bring them to Chaos knows where. Shadow knew wherever it was going, he had to go. Besides, Badniks were rushing behind him.

Shadow leaped onto the buckets holding lava, being sure to dodge the lava itself. However, a certain kind of Badnik wasn't going to make this easy. Shadow stared up, just in time to see starfish coming his way. They were orange, with their tips silver spikes, and a glowing red eye in the middle. These Badniks flew through the sky with ease, and aimed their spikes at Shadow.

One began spinning, before launching itself at the hedgehog. He grabbed the Badnik with skill, then threw it at another like a throwing star. The two Badniks collided, causing an explosion. However, there were still more of these 'Asteron' Badniks to contend with.

They stopped flying right before the hedgehog, making him glare at them with confusion. And then they began flashing a bright color; Shadow immediately knew that wasn't a good sign. One by one, each Badnik exploded. The spikes on their tips were launched from the detonation, and all of them flew his way.

Shadow leaped between the buckets, landing on some with no lava, and landing on others with lava. All the while, the spikes the Asterons sent his way ricocheted off the buckets, missing him just barely. A few however, flew across his legs, slashing him and drawing blood. Feeling that, Shadow slipped. He began falling toward the lava below, but quickly grabbed the chains which held the buckets in place and let them move. Now sliding back up toward the ceiling, Shadow stared into the distance of the large factory. And, of course, there was another school of Asterons flying his way.

Shadow's arm glowed yellow, and he threw Chaos Spears that streamed toward his targets. One by one, the Asterons were destroyed by his blasts, though some flew through the blasts. Shadow began leaping higher between buckets as fast as he could. He eventually landed upon a conveyor belt, one with Badnik armor sitting upon it. Glaring at the pieces of armor, he could see them cast the reflection of a school of Asteron heading his way. Shadow quickly glared at them, watching as they performed their suicidal attacks once more.

They exploded, but Shadow quickly pulled up Badnik armor pieces to defend himself. The spikes were deflected, being sent in various directions and saving him a painful stabbing. Shadow stared back after the attack was finished, only to slide into a dark hall. The doors closed in around him, making Shadow realize he had fallen into an assembly line. Looking around, the Black Wind searched for a way to escape, only to for his eyes to fall on a window. On the other side of the window was yet another conveyor belt, but instead of holding Badniks or pieces of metal, it held animals.

Other mobians, and some woodland creatures, lay on the belt, too weak to move. Suddenly, both conveyor belts stopped in unison. Claws attached to wires dropped on the spot right in front of Shadow, picking where they picked up pieces of metal. On the other side of the window, the conveyor belt showed the mobian being showered in a bright light. That light flared red, then flared bright, and when it died out, that mobian was gone.

Instead, the animal was replaced by a cold, unthinking machine. One of Robotniks grunt Badniks; a simple Shadowbot. Still, seeing the machine sit behind that glass angered Shadow. It also confused him greatly; the roboticizer. A great and powerful machine created by Robotnik to turned humanoid creatures into cold, unthinking machines. Ones mercilessly loyal to Robotnik himself.

It was on South Island the first time they fought, where it served the same purpose. But the original Roboticizer never worked that fast. It took time and massive amounts of energy to do what this machine did in a flash. How could Robotnik amass such power to change roboticize individuals so fast?

Easy; the Chaos Emeralds. With one Chaos Emerald, Robotnik was able to power Metropolis Zone for as long as forever. And now he had six Chaos Emeralds, meaning he had more than enough power.

The claws which grasped at Badnik armor suddenly began clawing at Shadow himself. Growling with rage, he let them grab a hold of him, but only for a few seconds. It only took a few seconds for Shadow to perform a Chaos Blast.

The hall was decimated, while a black blur leaped from the burning smog. He landed upon a platform and began skating immediately after, rushing deeper into the zone.

Shadow has passed Act 1.

He skated on a platform that hung far above bodies of lava, while various other machines churn. Shadow didn't even pay attention when a shadow loomed over his entire body. He could hear it dropping however, and instinctively rolled to dodge whatever was thrown at him in a split second. He curled and uncurled, before turning to face his new opponent.

It was large, that machine that fell to crush him. It's heavy body easily created a dent on the green floor. They were humanoid, large, black, and with single gleaming red eyes. These 'eyes' sat on visors, and constantly scanned the horizon. This machine stood tall as it faced Shadow, before being joined by two others of its kind.

"SWATbots..." the Black Wind grunted as he faced the Badniks down.

SWATbots are the very backbone of Robotniks army. Not extremely stylized as some other Badniks, but they don't have too. While many Badniks are powered by small woodland creatures – of course there being exceptions – SWATbots are almost always forged out of mobians themselves. This makes them stronger, and more powerful than the usual Badnik. Though, not as powerful as fully roboticized mobians.

Shadow rose his fists whilst glaring at the machines, while they mimicked his fighting stance. One suddenly leaped at him, causing him to flip back. He dodged the press, only to be punched by another SWATbot. He grabbed his fist, and clenched it tightly. With his titanic grip, he was capable of crushing the machines hand with his arm. He twisted the arm next, then pulled, tearing it free of its socket.

Shadow tossed the arm away, then rushed to face another SWATbot sent to deal with him. He performed a homing attack, one so strong he ripped straight through the Badnik and came out its back. He landed safely upon the ground, forgetting there was one more Badnik to contend with. The SWATbot aimed its arm and him, then fired.

The rocket propelled punch slammed into Shadow's back, sending him flying over the edge. Now on a deadly free fall with lava, he withdrew his green Chaos Emerald, focused on its energies, then shouted out,

"CHAOS CONTROL!" and in a bright flash he was gone.

He reappeared above safe ground, where he fell face first into it. It dazed him to fall on the hard metal ground, but he didn't waste any time. He got to his feet and glared around, where to his horror he found more Asterons flying his way. He didn't have time to recoil; he just skated out of there.

They detonated, sending their spikes his way, and he dodged them accordingly. Shadow continued skating, before slamming into an abandoned elevator shaft. He looked up it, noticing a large nut still screwed upon a spiral. He leaped on the nut and ran on it, causing it to scroll up the screw to a higher floor. And so that's what he did, he skated up and up and up, leaping off once he reached the highest point of the shaft. Then he skated some more, rushing into a hall with glass windows. A hall suspended over the majority of Metropolis Zone.

It was so much like Chemical Plant Zone, Shadow as having flashbacks to that zone as well. Dr. Robotnik really liked demented factories.

CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!

The glass of the hallway was suddenly shattered into pieces, causing Shadow to retreat by performing black flips. The Badniks responsible for the assault were the same Badniks he fought back in Emerald Hill Zone.

Coconuts. And, no, not the weapon one of them wielded. They were called Coconuts. Monkey like Badniks that were faster and more resilient than the original kind. And just like the ones he fought before, they all held specific weapons. One, fists, the other, a pole, and the last, coconuts. Exploding coconuts.

The Black Wind growled as he now had monkeys to face off with. The last time he fought them, it was with Rouge at his side. Three against two was hardly a fair fight, but they pulled out a victory. Now it was just him, and what appeared to be upgraded Coconuts.

He slammed his foot down, causing the hall to quake while he activated Chaos Boost. Now clad in a red aura, he charged for the three Coconuts while they ran back. He blocked a pole swipe, he dodged a punch, and he pulled back from an explosion. The two physical monkeys circled him, throwing punches and kicks and pole swipes all together. Shadow walked back whilst dodged and blocking the blows, while the last Coconut readied its coconuts. It threw one at them, but Shadow saw it coming. He kicked his opponents away, then threw a spear at the fake coconut with precise aim. His blast struck the bomb, triggering an explosion which pushed them all away.

But the Coconuts weren't finished. They continued jumping on the walls and everything, all the while approaching the hedgehog. He rushed for them again. Curling up in a ball, he performed the homing attack with deadly precision. His body penetrated one Coconut – the one with a pole – destroying it with ease. When he landed on the other end, he caught its discarded pole and swung it around at the next too. He rushed for them, where he was immediately clashed with the Coconut who brandished only its fists.

They clashed in the center of the bridge, poles striking fists with ease. He swatted some punches away, but couldn't do it to others. The hedgehog took some strikes, but sent back just as many. All the while, the third Coconut readied its bombs.

"OOKEEE! OOOKEEE!" the Coconut roared before throwing them all.

Shadow struck the Badnik he faced so hard by the jaw, it went flying through the window with a large 'CRASH!' He immediately turned around with his pole like a back, and smacked the three coconuts back to the Coconut. They slammed into its body, exploding and destroying it with ease. Shadow stood there for a few moments, breathing heavily, feeling exhausted and tired. He fell to his knees soon after, panting, wishing he had taken that offer of rest given to him before.

"Ugh..." he grunted, before standing up and running to the end of the hall, dropping the pole in doing so, "Gotta keep going... gotta keep going... gotta keep going..."

…

She stared down at the screen long and hard. On it, there was the image of a black and red hedgehog. He was rushing through the zone, his chance of survival dropping and rising at random intervals. But this wasn't a game of survival, she could care less about that. She was too busy focusing on the hedgehog, watching him closely.

How dare he desecrate these halls? It was like Scrap Brain Zone all over again; rushing in and ruining everything. She wanted him dead. So she could stop obsessing over him. So she could stop wondering who the Black Wind was, and why he haunted her so. She couldn't wait for his death.

She'd end him herself. Finger rose, she descended down to press a button.

"Maria, what are you doing?" Robotnik's voice rang, making her shiver.

She turned to face him, seeing the doctor stand in the room with his arms behind his back. She shivered upon seeing him, while he glared down upon her. These moments of rebelling were increasing with Maria; that wasn't a good thing. Every counter-measure he creates in her newer programming would be overcome somehow. Maybe it was wrong of him to create an AI based around his cousin. He only wanted to immortalize her, after all. But if this continues, he may have to do something about it.

"Nothing, Ivo," Maria said, before turning to face the screen again, "Shadow the hedgehog... his distance away from us is measured in only a few sure kilometers... he's approaching quickly. He'll be here soon."

"Unfortunately, we won't be here," Robotnik claimed as he sat back down in his throne, "Maria. Ready the Wing Fortress. And ready the Egg Mobile-F. I don't want Shadow running through here without a goodbye present. From this moment on, our operations on West Side Island is over. Prepare for transportation to the Death Egg."

"Yes, Doctor!"

She vanished soon after, while the doctor faced the screen himself. Shadow had just finished and entire room of Badniks, and exhaustion was clearly getting to him. He couldn't keep this up, not for much longer, anyway. Of course, it brought a smile to the doctor's face. He said nothing, for he didn't feel the need to gloat. He simply turned around and walked back to his Egg Mobile, sitting upon it with that same smile on his face. Pressing a button, he caused the seat to fly into a slot in the ceiling of this confined chamber.

Shadow has passed Act 2.

…

He fell to his knees, feeling completely drained. Sweat came from his forehead, blood from the cut on his leg, and the wound on his arm was still bleeding. But all around him laid the fallen pieces of Badniks. Shellcrackers, Slicers, Asterons, and various other Badniks from throughout his venture. They were all collected here, being put together piece by piece. And after a harrowing fight, Shadow destroyed them all. Of course, he needed to rely on a good Chaos Blast to properly deal with them all.

And now he was exhausted. Still, he pressed on. The Chaos Emerald sat tightly clenched to his chest, resonating with power while he walked forward. He was so tired, he wanted to just fall asleep and get some rest. But he pressed on, he needed to press on. Regardless of what happened; he couldn't give in.

Robotnik was somewhere around here. He could sense the doctor's existence, and that angered him. If there was one thing that kept Shadow super charged, it was his hatred for Robotnik. Just the imagine of that dictator laying dead in his hands was better than a thousand cups of coffee! Eight creams eight sugars; his favorite kind.

He skated out of the area, passing the downed Badniks he crushed beneath his feet. There was an automated platform that hung on wires, and glided into a deeper part of the factory. He pressed a button on the machine, making it glide forward, while he crossed his arms indifferently. Breathing hard, the hedgehog worried mainly about the mission he was embarking on.

This time, he spent his time standing and regenerating; he really needed this. It was getting harder and harder to remain conscious with all the fighting he was going through, and the fact that he went through this zone and the past two zones without resting in between wasn't making things better. He really wanted to lay down, to sleep, to get that energy back. But the simple idea of that Death Egg in the sky filled him with so many nightmares, he didn't want to sleep. Not until it was all over. Then he'd get the rest he deserved.

The platform finally stopped, meaning his moment of relaxation was over. He walked further into the zone, before the sound of a very recognizable jet engine echoed above him. Shadow gazed up, as a silver machine descended right in front of him. And standing in the cockpit of this machine was a very recognizable CEO.

"ROBOTNIK!" Shadow shouted at the man, finger pointed while the dictator chuckled to himself.

"Hello, Shadow," Robotnik said as he stood in his chair, gazing down upon the hedgehog with a smile on his face, "I'm so pleased to see you here in my humble abode," he looked around for a bit, smile on his face, "Looks familiar? Kinda like the good old Scrap Brain Zone, right? Or what do you all call it now? Iron Ruin Zone, right?" he glared down upon the hedgehog, eyes glowing red, "You mobians are a resourceful group of rats, aren't you?"

"Shut up!" Shadow shouted before leaping at Robotnik, "Just shut up!"

He spun around in the air and shot at the doctor like a rocket. But as soon as his body met the doctor's machine, it exploded.

BOOM!

Shadow was thrown back by the detonation, while his ears rang painfully. He fell onto the floor, back first, then bounced up a few feet only to land again. Pain was running through his entire body now, and he didn't even want to get up.

"What...? The...? Hell!?" Shadow commented as he looked up, eyes wide with confusion.

"Wha-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Robotnik laughed, feeling triumphant as he descended into the area again, "Care to try that again, Shadow?"

The Black Wind growled, turning red with rage. However, he didn't have enough energy to charge up a Chaos Boost. He instead crouched to the ground and started charging a spend charge. When he felt it was enough, he rocketed toward Robotnik at high-speeds, all the while the doctor laughed.

BOOM!

Shadow was thrown back by the second explosion much like the first time. This time he rolled upon the ground, coughing with pain, struggling to make sense of what just happened. He looked up to the doctor, gazing into that smog, only to see the doctor hover toward him from within the destruction.

"What devilry is this!?" Shadow shouted at the doctor, who stopped laughing to sit down in his Egg Mobile.

"The Egg Mobile-F," Ivo claimed, staring down upon Shadow with a smile on his face, "'F' stands for 'Flying'. Though, my secretary says it should be 'C' for clone. But I already used 'C' for 'Catcher'. And I can't use 'D' for 'doppelganger' because I already used that for 'Drill'. Okay, now I'm just ranting... the point is..." the doctor looked down, "How can you even tell that I'm the real Robotnik? For ever failure you take, you'll suffer another explosion like the ones before. So, I suppose, you either guess right and hit the real me, or guess wrong and die," his eyes slid into a devilish squint, "I can't wait to see what you do!"

"I'll do this!" Shadow said as he threw a blast at the doctor, "CHAOS SPEAR!"

His blast struck the doctor, only to be reflected like every Egg Mobile he had faced up until this point in time. The doctor watched this happen, eyes rolling, before he leaned up to gain control of his device.

"Continue to flail like a fish out of water, Shadow," Robotnik said as he floated back, "I'll simply watch."

A ring of large, egg-shaped machines suddenly descended around the doctor, and they all started spinning rapidly. Shadow growled at the doctor and punched the ground, then launched himself at the dictator once more. The rapidly spinning eggs struck his face, but he didn't care. He slammed into the Egg Mobile-F, sending it back. The collision sent him flying back as well, but he landed safely. Robotnik's laughter echoed into his ears; when Shadow stared up, there were two Egg Mobile-Fs, both looking extremely similar, and both with a laughing Robotnik.

"Dammit!" Shadow growled as he punched the ground.

As he stood and took his battle stance, he couldn't tell which Robotnik was which. He knew falsely attacking one would only result in an explosion that could kill him. But if he didn't attack, then surely the fake Robotnik would ram him anyway, killing him with an explosion.

So Shadow felt quite cornered. Until he got an idea.

"Chaos Spear!" he shouted, throwing a blast at both Robotniks.

To his surprise – and horror – both Robotniks deflected the blasts. They flew back at Shadow, who reflected his own shots back into the ceiling. He looked up then looked back, watching as both Robotniks laughed at him.

"As you can see, Shadow," they said in perfect unison, "I have gone the extra mile of making my clones reflective as well. I'm not about to let you use your powers to bail you out of another glorious defeat!" Shadow growled at him before falling on one knee, all the while the clone doctors laughed, "What's wrong Shadow? Running out of energy? Need a charge?"

Shadow answered Robotnik's call, though not in the way the doctor intended. He lifted the green Chaos Emerald in his hand and started to use its power to charge his body. Robotnik had no idea what he was doing, until he looked down upon his screen. Shadow was doing something with his Chaos Powers, it just wasn't obvious at first.

Until a purple ring appeared under his feet and began shaking. Upon that, the doctor realized Shadow was charging himself with the powers of Chaos Control. There was only one problem; it was incredibly slow.

Still, Shadow was healing himself. Seeing this, Robotnik sent his clone to attack him. The fake doctor flew at Shadow and self-destructed, all the while the Black Wind charged. The sizable explosion shook the room, while Dr. Robotnik stroked his mustache. However, from the smog of destruction, the hero in question leaped out.

DONG! Echoed the impact, as Shadow's fist met with the Egg Mobile-F's windshield.

The doctor was thrown back with a scowl on his face, while his immortal enemy landed upon the ground. Shadow wasn't finished however; with Robotnik on the retreat, he quickly followed up with a flying kick. He leaped up, spun around, then performed a dive kick strong enough to slam Robotnik into the earth. The doctor bounced, but then one of the metallic eggs around him opened up. On the other end was a Robotnik clone. A clone which immediately detonated right in Shadow's face.

BOOM!

"Augh!?"

Shadow was launched from the explosion, but recoiled fairly quickly. All the while Robotnik's cocky laughter echoed in the hedgehog's ears. He growled as he got angry, but this didn't form as a red aura around his body. As much as he wanted to launch a destructive Chaos Blast, he couldn't manage one. This fight was going to be between him – in a weakened state – and Robotnik with all the cards. Not too good odds.

For the doctor that is.

"Ee-yaah!" Shadow shouted, as he jumped at the doctor.

He struck Robotnik with a homing attack, pushing the doctor back and causing another clone to appear. This time however, he kept his eye trained on the real dictator. He dodged the clone who tried to ram him, then slammed into the real Robotnik with his entire body. The strike – as before – unleashed another clone Robotnik, which floated toward Shadow. The Black Wind was too fast however, and quickly leaped in the air. However, a thought came to his mind.

Instead of dodging the clone and striking the Eggman himself, he slammed down upon the clone instead. His action had the desired effect. Slamming upon the fake Robotnik caused an explosion so strong, it propelled Shadow toward the doctor himself. He immediately curled himself up into a ball as he flew toward the doctor with enough force to penetrate anything.

And penetrate he did.

"YOU ANNOYING LITTLE- ARRUUUURRRGGHHH!?"

Shadow flew straight through Robotnik's body, sending shards of metal and glass everywhere. He landing was anything but smooth however, as he slammed into the wall then fell first first onto the floor. But behind him, Robotnik and his Egg Mobile-F crashed, bursting into flames seconds later. The sound alone was enough to bring a smile to Shadow's face.

"Take that, Ivo," he laughed, feeling as if victory had been achieved. It was so horribly short-lived, however.

"Ha-ha-ha!" Robotnik's laughter echoed, sounding like a broken tape recorder.

Shadow stared into the burning heap of the Egg Mobile-F, coming to the horrific realization that the Robotnik he just fought against wasn't the real Robotnik. Instead, it was a robotic doppelganger, just not as explosive as the others.

As if on cue, Shadow felt all of Metropolis Zone shake. Something was shaking, but it wasn't anywhere near him. He turned around toward the exit hall, and skated forward with a sudden burst of speed. All the while, the clone of the doctor laughed and laughed and laughed.

Metropolis Zone completed.

Now entering Genocide City Zone.

…

He couldn't keep going. He didn't have the energy to. He skated and skated, then ran and ran, then jogged and jogged, then walked and walked, and now he was struggling to move. In this zone, it rained endlessly; Shadow couldn't even tell why. Lightning surged across the sky, and the heavy rainfall felt like rocks to his skin. The heavens – if you could call it that – was pitch black thanks to the dark and stormy clouds. If there was one thing good to say about this zone so far, it wasn't windy. No threat of tornadoes here.

Metropolis Zone was nothing more than a factory; a metropolis in name only. But this Zone was a true city, owning up to its name. Unfortunately, the city was a horrible one. The streets were empty, the lights in buildings flickered ominously, and everything felt as dead as a cemetery. There wasn't one creature in this zone with him; mobian, robot, or otherwise. It was just him, Shadow the hedgehog, struggling through the streets alone.

EERRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! EEEEERRRRRRRRRRRR!

A deafening roar echoed overhead as something began rising from the ground. In an instant, wind and rain was wiped up in every direction, causing Shadow to lose his footing. He stared to where the sound was coming from and walked toward it, being pushed back for every step he took forward. The winds of the Zone fought against him however, as a machine took to the skies.

Whatever it was, he could barely tell. He was so tired and the zone was so dark, this machine was almost invisible to him. He could only tell how large it was, and that it was flying. Whatever it was, it caused the winds to whip about so ferociously. It's launch meant only one thing; Robotnik was on board. Which meant he had to get on board.

Shadow skated after the flying machine as fast he could, ignoring the pain in his body. But as he skated, he nearly slipped and fell into a large, circular launch pad that was half in the earth. He stared down inside to the various amounts of machines inside, then glided up to the plane flying into the sky. The large beast separated the clouds, revealing endless blue skies on the other end. Too bad he was stuck down here.

"No! I won't let you!" he shouted against the storm as he readied his Chaos Emerald, "I don't care what you do, Ivo! You can put an orbital death station in space! You can roboticize this entire island! You can take every Chaos Emerald in existence! I will not let you win! Even if I die in the process! I will fight you until the ends of the earth if I have too! CHAOS! CON-HUH!?"

VVVRRRRROOOOM!

The roar came from behind, then howled above him. Shadow stared up, watching as a red biplane flew high above. With the clouds parted to see the blue skies and sun on the other end, Shadow could see the plane in all its entirety. It was his plane, the Tornado. And the one driving it was...

"Rouge...?"

The plane full up high then performed a loop-de-loop, pulling back to glide on the city streets with ease. It drove right up to Shadow and turned to a stop with expert skill, before the engines died down. Shadow walked to the cockpit, where he found teal eyes gazing back at him.

"Mm... hello Shadow," Rouge said as she leaned over the cockpits edge, gazing down to the exhausted hedgehog, "Aren't you up past your bedtime?"

Genocide City Zone completed.

Next stop, Sky Chase Zone.


	13. Sky Pursuit Zone

Sky Pursuit Zone

"Rouge -OW!?- what are you doing here?"

"Just stand still, stupid! I'm trying to help you!"

"OUCH!?"

"That's what you get when you keep fidgeting around like that! Now stand still! I'm trying to help you here!"

How Rouge got here was immaterial at the moment. All that mattered was the help she gave him. Well, more like torture. Seriously, the feeling of those alcohol soaked bandages touching his skin was akin to a Badnik's laser strike. It constantly burned, and never stopped. And, to be honest, he was sure his ally gained some joy out of doing this to him.

The clouds had parted thanks to the rising fortress, giving them a nice sunlight on the dreary Genocide City streets. Still hunkered beneath the wing of the Tornado, the bat used her extensive training to give him First Aid. It also helps that Shadow just happened to have a First Aid kit in his plane. A gift from Bernie, perhaps? Probably.

It was lucky Shadow did have a First Aid kit in his plane. Knowing how 'perfect' he can feel, the so called Ultimate Life Form would probably believe he didn't need one. Sure as hell needed it now though. The rag he used to cover his shoulder wound was useless now, and the cut he got on his leg was still bleeding, though minutely.

But when Rouge was done with him, he had a nice tight bandage around his shoulder that matched up with the the bandage on his leg. And he had enough of that rubbing alcohol to cauterize his wounds, while burning like acid at the same time.

"Aaaaannnnnd... There! All better!" Rouge said as she pulled her hand away, staring Shadow up and down while she did so.

The Black Wind checked his limbs, raising it and lowering it, threw a few punches, all to make sure it was top notch. And, yeah, they still ached, but it wasn't because of the wounds anymore. It was more because of his exhaustion. Rouge's eyes glided over her allies body, watching as he breathed so coarsely. To her, that meant he was sick. Only, Shadow never gets sick.

So she tapped his shoulder and stared him up and down. He averted her gaze and crossed his arms.

"Shadow, are you okay?" she asked, making him scoff, "You look kinda out of it..."

"I'm fine," he said abrasively, tightening the hold he had on his own body, "Rouge, why did you come back? We found Hidden Palace Zone and everything, you could've gone back home by now. I would've handled the rest..."

"You're really saying that? To me?" retorted the bat, "In the sorry state of disarray you're in? Shadow, I came back because I knew this was going to happen. Look at you; you can barely stand up without my help..."

"Don't patronize me," he growled back, forcing himself to stand though he used the Tornado for assistance, "I was handling everything by myself..." he then stepped weakly and fell forward, landing into Rouge's awaiting arms.

"Yeah, this is you 'handling it'," Rouge stated, eyes rolling, "I don't know what it is with you, but you're not happy until you've overworked yourself until the point of death, are you? How much time have you devoted to rest since we parted ways, hm? You can't lie to me, Shadow; I know you haven't even slept for an hour..."

He looked at her, taking note of that powerful glare she was giving back. It made him look to the roads then pull away, whilst taking a deep breath.

"You're right," he said, staring up at her in an annoyed fashion, "I haven't been getting rest. Even though I need it... but I can't rest Rouge..." when he said that, she crossed her arms and gazed at him with an inquiring stare.

"And why's that?" she asked.

"Because of that," he replied, pointing up to the sky with one finger, "Robotnik launched something into the sky not too long ago. Something he calls the 'Death Egg'. I have no idea what it is or what Robotnik plans to do with that thing, but I know it isn't good. I'm not going to rest until I bring it back down to the earth in pieces! Ufff!?"

He fell back onto the Tornado, still exhausted, all the while Rouge rolled her eyes. She walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder, making him gaze up to her eyes.

"You need some rest..."

"I can't rest..." he claimed, "I have to keep going."

"Shadow, at this state, you'll die if you fight the doctor. Don't you think it's best you get some rest? Try to conserve some energy?"

"You don't understand the gravity of this situation, Rouge!"

"Yes I do!" she claimed, "When I was on my way back to Emerald Hill Zone – no thanks to you, by the way, it took for-freaking-ever – I saw a gleaming light from right here rise into the eye. Whatever that light is..." she shivered slightly, "I don't like it... but you running in all gung-ho is just going to end with you dying. C'mon, Shadow, stop being stubborn and think!"

Shadow opened his mouth to retort, but the words didn't form. For a change, he considered Rouge's words. He was running blindly into things, and if this continued, he was going to end up dead. This was the reason for his sorry condition right now. Weak. Barely moving. Having trouble with even the weakest of Badniks. If Rouge had accompanied him through Oil Ocean Zone and Metropolis Zone, he knew he'd be ten-times better.

"Auuuuh..." he uttered, looking down to the ground while his head nodded, "Well... I guess you're right..."

"You're damn right, I'm right!" Rouge stated, gazing down upon him, "Shadow... I know you're think I'm being difficult but... you aren't as invincible as you think you are. I've seen you vanish into thin air, shoot blasts from your fingertips, and create explosions larger than rockets. But I've also seen you when you lose, Shadow. I've seen that face of yours being beat. And I'm afraid that... if you don't calm down, I won't be able to see that hurt face of yours..."

"Don't say such things..." he growled back, making Rouge pull back, "Or else I..."

He fell on the ground, with a loud THUD! no less. Rouge stared down at the hedgehog, eyes wide from worry, only to realize he was getting that rest he needed. It seemed as if he couldn't keep going; his body gave out on him. It made the bat giggle as she placed her hands on her hips. Eyes traveling to the skies, she could see something large and brown drifting through the heavens. Her smile quickly left her.

…

"Doctor," the blonde spoke out, making him pull up.

He was standing at the edge of his ship, right before the large panoramic windows. All around him, there stood endless white and blue clouds. They were a beautiful sight, even the evil doctor would say that much. Many thought he wanted to erase these images. To get rid of them. To turn life into a bleak and desolate wasteland.

And yeah. He kinda wanted too.

But the skies. They'd remain untouched. While he may pollute the planets oceans, and even the air, the skies – these heavens above – would remain untouched. He would look down upon them from even deeper into the sky. An entire planet, under his unwavering control.

"Ivo," the blonde spoke out once more, making him turn around.

"Yes, Maria?" he asked.

"Scanners have picked up a bogey heading out way. It's approaching at high speeds," she claimed, bringing up the image of a green radar with a bright green object constantly beeping.

"It took him long enough..." Robotnik claimed as he turned around, now walking back to his command chair, "Okay, okay. Maria, prep the rocket for interstellar transportation. We shall be heading for the Death Egg."

"And the bogey?"

"Give Shadow the appropriate gift, Maria," he claimed with a smile on his face, "I don't want him feeling like he's missing out?"

"Of course, Doctor Robotnik."

Shadow and Rouge have entered Sky Chase Zone.

…

His feet were planted firmly on the wings of his planes, sticking strong while they sailed through the air. The wind blew through their quills making it bounce, while the howl of the planes engine echoed right beneath him. He clung to the vehicles wings while they flew deeper into the heavens, and he felt empowered by it all.

The Black Wind glared to the skies, a smile on his face. After his rest, he felt ready to take on anything. While that may have been an exaggeration, he did feel far better now than he did when he took on Oil Ocean Zone and Metropolis Zone. While the rest may have not been the longest, it did it's duty.

"Ya'know, Shadow," Rouge called from the Tornado's cockpit, "You never told me why you have a plane. I mean... hedgehog... plane. Hedgehog, plane. It just doesn't make any sense."

"I found an old plane in a scrap yard on day," Shadow answered, "My Uncle Chuck and I spent the next year rebuilding the plane together. If you can't tell; its far faster in its current state than any other model of a plane has ever done," he stared back to the skies, "Okay. We're getting close... keep it up..."

POW! POW! POW!

"OH CRAP!?"

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

All around the Tornado explosions erupted. The bat pulled on the plane's controls, making it twist and turn to dodge said explosions. Shadow clung harder to the biplane's wings, squeezing on it while they drifted through the skies. Eyes locking forward, he could see green dots flying their way. The hedgehog immediately began charging an attack, all the while glaring toward his attackers. He could see flashes come from the green beings, the fleshes of gun barrels.

Rouge's expert driving of the Tornado allowed them to dodge the gunfire, while Shadow provided cover fire. While his plane drifted and flew with expertise and skill, Shadow fired Chaos Spear after Chaos Spear toward his targets, causing them to explode in the air. When they met the group of green targets, the hedgehog saw them to be turtle like. Like, double turtles. There was a large turtle that hovered slowly – the one with guns in its mouth – and another turtle upon its back.

Yeah. A turtle on a turtle. It's like some insane kind of multiplication.

Shadow destroyed them too, his Chaos Spear ripping right through them. But they weren't the only Badniks they were forced to contend. There was another class of Badniks; small, green, balloon like ones with eyes. Shadow aimed his hand at them, while they dropped a blanket of spikes to impair the Tornado.

Rouge pulled up, dodging the spiked balls while Shadow countered with a series of blasts which destroyed them one by one. They regulated their flight soon after, a calm air descending upon them. Yet this air was short lived.

SWOOOSH! SWOOOSH! Jets howled beneath them, as red blurs screamed against the skies.

These red lines performed a twirl and spin in the air, as they now flew directly toward the hedgehog and bat. Rouge pulled out of the way while Shadow fired blasts at them. These red Badniks were too fast however, and constantly dodged Shadow's strikes. They seemingly flew around the Tornado with practiced movements, before flying straight down with beaks at the read.

That is until Shadow turned red and caused a red bubble to appear around the entire ship, destroying the Badniks with their dive-bombing antics. The hedgehog smirked at the sight of the falling Badnik pieces, before his eyes caught wind of something directly below them.

Staring down to the clouds they drifted above, Shadow and Rogue noticed a large brown object. At first, they could only see a corner here or a corner there, with no true comprehension of the machines full size.

Until it lifted up even higher. It was a large plane, one equal in size to the entirety of of Emerald Hills Zone's first act. And it only seemed to get bigger the higher it flew up. Rouge and Shadow were able to calmly fly above the machine, until bullets started ringing around their position.

"Bleh!? What is that thing!?" Rouge cried as she attempted to keep the Tornado steady, with Shadow struggling to remain standing on it as well.

"Robotnik's on that ship!" Shadow claimed, knowing full well his assumption was true, "I don't know where he's heading, but I know it deals with the Death Egg! Rouge! We need to land on that thing!"

"Easier said than done!" the bat countered before pulling down, as large lasers began flying toward their position as well.

Rouge pulled to the side of the flying battleship, while chicken-like Badniks on the sides fired at them at their turrets. Shadow countered as usual with his Chaos Spears, destroying some but missing others. On the top of the ship, the red bird-like Badniks that chased them down before launched from their runways. They darted for the Tornado their beaks at the ready, forcing Rouge to move on the retreat.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The skies erupted around them, forcing the bat to fly and move even harder. Rouge kicked her flying senses sky-high as she avoided their gunfire, while Shadow scanned the skies as best he could. The Badniks were still on the chase – even under the large plane – and Shadow was getting annoyed.

More bullets rang around them while Rouge dodged as best she could. Shadow fired blasts at his invading Badniks, destroying some but missing others. When they pulled to the side of the ship, more of those chicken-like Badniks fired at them, increasing the pressure Rouge had to fly.

But she was a trooper. How she became so experience with flying a plane – let alone a biplane – must have been thanks to her increased dealings with Shadow. Rouge gracefully performed an area maneuver where she caused the plane to climb in the air, while it spun around. The action allowed it to dodge bullets fired at them from the on coming Badniks.

Shadow had to admit; he was impressed. In all his years of flying the Tornado, he had never seen her perform this well. Still, they were being chased, and he needed to do something about it. The Black Wind turned red as he turned around on the plan, gazing toward the Badniks chasing them. Flicking his wrist, he caused his chaotic powers to swarm around his hand. He pulled back his limb so it sat beside his head, then launched a powerful blast straight forward. Said blast careened toward their enemies and struck the lead unit, causing an explosion that destroyed the two bird-like Badniks with one blow.

"Yes!" said the Black Wind as he performed a fist bump, "Rouge! Bring us to the rear!"

"Can do!" she answered with a salute.

Easing up on the Tornado, she caused the biplane to pull back. As they did this, the two mobians gazed to Robotnik's flying ship in unison; it was enormous. It's size in length – as stated before – was comparable to the first act of Emerald Hill Zone. It's size in width was like that of a building; tall, boisterous, immobile. It put an uneasy spike in both Shadow and Rouge's heart.

Before long, they had dropped behind the large zone, flying toward it and gaining speed. As they hug behind, the amount of lasers fired upon them increased. Rouge swerved right to dodge one, swerved left to dodge another. They quickly gained grown on the ship, flying toward a runway laying on its back.

Until...

ZEEERRR!

POW!

"Eh!?"

One red and yellow laser glided past them, grazing the side of the Tornado. The engine began to sputter, while smoke flew out of the scar on the plane. Rouge struggled to keep the Tornado regulated, while the biplane's propeller stopped spinning altogether.

"Rouge!?" Shadow shouted as he looked down at her, she gazing back.

"It's okay!" she answered, focusing on the ship itself, "Shadow! You have to keep going!"

"What!? I'm not leaving you behind like this!"

"Shadow! I'll be fine! But not with you on the plane!" Rouge claimed, struggling to keep it at a horizontal plane with the airship before them, "Your added weight on the plane's wings is only going to make things worse, Shadow! So hurry up and get off so I don't end up crashing and dying! This is not how I intend to leave this planet!"

Shadow stared at her, still worried about his ally. Then he looked to Robotnik's ship, and considered her words. He knew Rouge was telling the truth.

"You better not die," Shadow said as he gazed down at Rouge, to which she smiled back.

"Or what? You'll tattle on me to my momma?"

Shadow rolled his eyes at Rouge's statement while she giggled. And then – before he leaped for Robotnik's ship – he and Rouge performed a salute in unison. Then the Black Wind leaped from the plane, and with the power of his air shoes, launched himself onto Robotnik's airship.

Sky Chase Zone completed.

Now entering Wing Fortress Zone.

…

"It appears as if we have a stowaway, Ivo," Maria claimed as she stared up to the screen above her, whose image showed that of Shadow rolling onto the base, "Next course of action, Ivo?"

The dictator trailed his hands along his desk, a slight growl escaping him. But before Maria could ask him about said growl, he stifled it, and turned around in his chair. Instead of giving an order, the doctor merely nodded. Maria nodded to, then vanished into thin air. Robotnik lingered in his chair, knowing his nemesis was heading this way. He slid his fingers beneath the desk and pressed a but, then stood up from his chair.

"Come a little closer, Shadow," he sneered, "Just do it... you annoying rat..."

…

Shadow skated through the halls of Wing Fortress Zone, staring out the windows as he did so. He was so close to the edge of space, it made his stomach feel light. Like he needed to puke, or something along those lines. He ignored that feeling however as he rushed through the halls, an army of Badniks approaching him.

He skidded to a halt and glared at his enemies, while they approached him ever so slowly. They were all the chicken-like Badniks that armed the turrets outside. Only, they were now armed with Robotnik-class rifles, and all were aimed at the hedgehog. He glared back at these 'Cluckers' as they faced him with guns, and readied himself for a battle.

And then a smirk appeared on the hedgehog's face. He flared red, and the Cluckers backed up in fear.

"Heh... Chaos Blast..."

BOOM.

All of Wing Fortress Zone shook, while an explosion occurred within one of its many halls. On the end of the large plane, standing on one if its many planes, Shadow stood. The winds of the great airborne battleship blew along his body, and pushed him back with its amazing power. But he pressed on, marching against the wind, and soon after skating.

There was something about Wing Fortress Zone that seemed incomplete. Was it how the bottom half of the massive airship had wires hanging out – some near active rockets – or was how some panels flew off the fort and into the air. Maybe some of his Chaos Spears struck the ship, maybe not.

Shadow didn't care; he started running forward up the ship, heading to its cockpit and where he assumed Robotnik was. From the windows of the plane, Cluckers appeared, brandishing rifles which fired off endlessly. Shadow dodged the bullets as he skated forward, only to suddenly leap off the plane's edge. He fell down then grabbed a hold of one of Wing Fortress Zone's pipes, handing dangerously close to a rocket engine.

Shadow looked it up and down for a few moments, before noticing those same turtle-like Badniks who assaulted he and Rouge in Sky Chase Zone. They hovered near Shadow, where the larger turtles on the bottom opened their mouths. Inside said mouths were cannon barrels. Shadow shook his head.

The Black Wind quickly sprang on the Badnik, striking the smaller turtle that flew upon the larger turtle's back. Grabbing the handles on the Badnik's shell, he commandeered the machine (title Turtloid by the way), and began flying skyward.

And dear lord was this Badnik slow. The Black Wind was rising at an effective crawl, and constantly pushed to get the machine flying. All the while, two Badniks known as Balkiry – the red bird-like machines that attacked him and Rouge in the Tornado – flew past him at sonic speeds. He turned around then flew directly towards him, causing Shadow to ready a spear.

When an idea came to mind.

Shadow smirked, then fired his spear, destroying one Balkiry, but keeping the other alive. He then leaped off of the Turtloid and landed on the other Balkiry, riding upon it akin to that of a skateboard. The jet birds massive speed was a clear difference from the Turtloid before, while Shadow surfed upon skies like no other.

"Way past cool," he couldn't help but to comment with a smirk on his face.

Shadow trailed up Wing Fortress Zone, then forced the Balkiry to nose dive into the roof. The Badnik crashed where flames erupted from its body, while the hedgehog skated on. He was making great speed and time as he skated on the ships roof, though this was short lived.

Turrets opened on the top of the battleship, and locked their positions on the Black Wind. He turned and saw them, right as they unleashed their payload upon his position. Shadow dodged the bullets left and right, before finding himself rolling off the edge. He grunted and gritted his teeth as he slid off the side off the jet, being saved by a turret that opened right beneath him.

The hedgehog gazed over the side of the automated gun, his eyes traveling down into the endless blue skies below. Realizing time was of the essence, he leaped from the gun, right as is pulled back into the ship. Shadow landed on another turret, and repeated the action; leaping to another gun and another gun. He did this over and over again before finally landing on solid ground.

Rolling on the floor, Shadow transitioned his speed and immediately started skating on Wing Fortress Zone's lower-half. He skirted around the battleship's less constricted areas, which resembled a construction sight in a way. Shadow rushed up said runways, one which led up a vertical incline. He zoomed up said incline, quickly escaping into a hall inside. Was Wing Fortress Zone partially finished; it sure did feel like it as he ran on.

Running through the halls, his foot stepped on a strange machine that turned out to be a launch pad. Said launch pad – thinking he was a Balkiry – immediately launched the hedgehog forward. Shadow was shocked by the feeling, though the sudden speed did feel exhilarating. He flew out onto the roof of Wing Fortress once more, skating up and down on its wings with the wind on his face. A growl escaped him as he trekked further and further to the head of the battleship, coming across a peculiar piece of metal that jutted from the top. It was somewhat dome-shaped, was black against the bronze metal, and seemed to fume with air coming out of it.

This was his ticket inside.

THOOP!

The metal broke apart as he fell down into the room beneath, hand on the ground. His red eyes glowed with heated rage as he stared forward into the area; a circular room with a large panoramic window staring to the clouds around. On the other end, the cockpit of the mighty Wing Fortress sat. And standing right in front of the cockpit was...

"ROBOTNIK!" Shadow shouted, teeth shown in full.

"Hello, Shadow," replied the doctor as he looked back at the hedgehog, standing with a cane in his hand, "Wouldn't the door have been easier?"

"Not now, Ivo," snarled the Black Wind as he approached the doctor, a demented smile creeping upon his lips, "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done, and I'm going to enjoy it!"

"Perhaps..." replied the doctor as he lifted his cane, to which Shadow noticed a Chaos Emerald sitting in it, "Come on, Shadow. Come a little closer."

"EEERRRRRRAAAA!" the hedgehog roared as he dashed forward as fast as he could.

But not as fast as light.

BEW! BEW! THONK!

"What the!?"

Shadow skidded, just as light appeared and smacked him in the face. He puled back in pain and rubbed his nose, then gazed forward to the burning beam of light. It was a force-field of some sort, one which separated Shadow from the doctor in question. This angered the hedgehog, who slammed on the flat shield of light while the dictator laughed and laughed.

"I guess you weren't fast enough, Shadow," Robotnik commented, while the hedgehog slammed on the shield.

"Dammit Robotnik! I'll kill you!"

"Not before I kill you," replied the doctor, who laughed at the hedgehog.

The sound of a metal shading opening echoed into the air, causing the Black Wind to turn around. His eyes fell upon the ceiling, as his suspicions were true, and a door opened on the ceiling. Form said door, a strange machine descended. It was large and circular, with a dome-shaped bulb sticking from its tubing.

"Say hello to the barrier program, created specifically to kill you!" Robotnik claimed with a smile, "And, yes, while I may say that often, this certain machine was truly created with your death in mind. I knew we'd meet here sooner or later, so I created the Barrier. As you can tell, it traps you inside and... well, why spoil the fun?" he then sat down in his master chair, still smiling, "I'm just going to sit back and enjoy the show!"

"Dammit doctor! When I get out of here I'm gonna...!?"

POW!

The laser machine that lingered above suddenly shot a laser down on Shadow's position, who dodged it just barely. Immediately, the machine began turning and moving all over the ceiling, matching Shadow's movements with movements of its own. No matter how fast the hedgehog moved, that laser cannon was capable of keeping up.

POW! POW! POW! The laser went off, firing constantly in a fervent attempt to destroy the hedgehog. Shadow remained constantly on the move, dodging each blast while at the same time searching for a way to counterattack.

He noticed something between the blasts. There were blank pockets, where the laser wouldn't fire between intervals. At that time, the heat from the laser would die down – but only briefly. Now Shadow had to ask himself; was he bad enough a hedgehog to strike before light fell? It was time to find out.

Shadow put his hands down to the ground, readying himself like a long runner would. Robotnik rose an eyebrow at Shadow, watching the hedgehog perform said action. The laser aimed at Shadow once again, it's 'eye' zooming down to make it's next shot deadly. And yet Shadow remained posed in such a way, though he too began emanating a strange light.

POW! BLINK!

"Urgh!" Shadow grunted.

The laser strike struck his body, only to be reflected. However, Shadow still felt the pain of such a thing resonate through his entire body. The Black wind smirked it off however, his eyes settling upon the laser cannon with a deadly glare.

"Gotcha..." he murmured, before stepping forward at speeds Robotnik was even shocked by.

The laser was just about to fire, but the blast of light didn't come out in time. It was captured by a shadow. The Black Wind's fist slammed into the cannon's 'eye', causing glass to fly every where. Grabbing the wires that lay beneath, the hedgehog began to grind the very fabric of time and space in his palms. This caused an explosion, one which formed in a dark multicolored orb. It vibrated within the machine, causing sparks and electricity to fly, before an explosion finally took the machine. Said explosion traveled along its wires, before taking the light barrier as well.

"What!? No!" Robotnik shouted as Shadow approached him, the barriers rippling with synced explosions, "That's impossible! You've never moved that fast! Never!"

"First time for everything," Shadow retorted, smiling dementedly as he approached him, "Let's see how fast you run, doctor..."

Robotnik walked backwards, while the light barrier separating he and Shadow finally died out. When the hedgehog took a step over where it once stood, the dictator tensed up. Quickly after, he pushed his cane forward so that the Chaos Emerald pointed at Shadow. He glared at the purple stone of mystical power, while the doctor pressed a button. The stone flared a light.

"What!?"

"Ha-ha-haaaaa!" chortled the doctor, a blinding light flaring from his Chaos Emerald to blind Shadow.

The Black Wind rubbed his eyes clear, only to see the area was devoid of Robotnik's life. He quickly darted up to the cockpit, where he found a silver circle on the ground, one closed by a door. Shadow slammed his fingers between the sliding doors slots, then forcibly pulled them open. On the other end, a walkway above blurry white skies.

Shadow leaped down to the catwalk, where he was immediately pushed back by the wind. Staring forward, he watched as Dr. Robotnik pulled onto a door leading to a black rocket.

"Doctor!" Shadow shouted as he began marching forward, now thoroughly annoyed by the situation.

"You were too slow! Shadow!" Robotnik claimed.

He pulled out his Chaos Emerald adorned cane once more, and pressed a button. This time – instead of a blinding light – the staff fired out a blast. Shadow swatted it away however, then immediately, though by this time it was too late. Robotnik leaped into his rocket's cockpit, laughing madly while he did so. Pressing buttons and flipping switches, he caused the engines to flare to life. The rocket's thrusters ignited, flames pushing out near Shadow. He fought back against them, while the cranes holding the rocket in place detached themselves.

Robotnik's rocket flew forward quickly, while Shadow dashed to the edge of the walkway. He didn't slow down; he kept skating. Even when he came to the absolute edge, he kept skating. Even when there was no more room to move, he kept moving. He leaped off at the very end, his arm reaching for the rocket's tail fin.

He missed.

The Black Wind found himself falling into the skies below, while Robotnik watched out the corner of his eye. He smiled at the image of his enemy falling, and that smile turned into borderline laughter when he vanished into the clouds.

"YES, YES, YES!" Robotnik laughed, bouncing in his chair while he did so, "YOU FOOLISH RAT! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET! THAT'S WHAT YOU- WHAT!? NO! IMPOSSIBLE!"

He saw Shadow again, rising from the skies. On the wings of the Tornado. It appeared as if Rouge's 'deadly free-fall' wasn't as deadly as it seemed. And during Shadow's trip on Wing Fortress, she spent her time getting the biplane airborne again. Who said the bat wasn't good with mechanics.

Rouge kept her eyes trained on the rocket above, giving dedication only to chasing it down. But as time went on, it became apparent they weren't going to catch up. Even with Shadow reaching for the rocket, it was flying higher and faster, and they just couldn't keep up. For a brief moment, Shadow feared they weren't going to make it.

But Rouge had one more trick up her sleeve.

"Look what I added to the Tornado," she said nonchalantly, making him stare back, "There's quite a lot of things to find down there in Genocide City Zone. Like so..."

Rouge lifted a small device, with one red button. Smiling up at the confused hedgehog before her, she pressed said button. The Tornado began shaking, causing Shadow to grip the wing with his hand. His plane continued to jostle, as something beneath it began to turn on and off. Gazing over the edge, he saw a rocket attached to the underside of the Tornado.

The rocket howled to life.

"EEEERRRAAAAH!?" Shadow yelled, suddenly taken aback by the frantic speeds the rocket added to the Tornado.

His biplane exhibited speeds it was never possible of performing in his ownership of it. They shot through the skies at equal speeds with Robotnik's rocket, only the acceleration was far greater. While Robotnik's rocket continued skyward at blistering speeds, they were capable of keeping pace with it.

In unison, they broke through the clouds, entering the planet's stratosphere. At this height, the two mobians could see the object of Robotnik's affection, hovering above them. The Death Egg – in all of its glory – hovered far above them. The image of Robotnik's face gazing back down made both Rouge and Shadow stare back with blank expressions.

"Wow..."

"SHADOW!" Rouge shouted, making him look down at her, "THE TORNADO CAN'T KEEP GOING! WE'RE TOO HIGH!" he could hear the engines sputtering again, even as they roared skyward, "DO SOMETHING! DO SOMETHING QUICK!"

They were so close to Robotnik's ship; only a few fathoms separated them.

"GET US CLOSER!" he yelled back, to which Rouge nodded.

She pulled toward Robotnik's rocket, getting as close as they could. Shadow crouched down on the Tornado's wings, getting himself ready. His air shoes flared; he rocketed forward. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Maybe it was moving in slow motion.

Rouge may even say Shadow turned blue.

He cleared the distance between the Tornado and Robotnik's rocket, where his hand slammed onto the side. The streamlined jet caused him to slide back, though Shadow was capable of latching onto something. He held tightly onto Robotnik's rocket, watching as they flew higher and higher; closer and closer to the Death Egg. The incredible tug of the air around them and gravity below pulled on Shadow's body harder than anything in his life. Through it all however, he found the strength to hold. Whether it be from fear or from raw power, he'd never know.

They broke out of the planet's stratosphere, and soon entered the mesosphere. Now on the very edge of the planet where the Earth ended and space began, Shadow could feel a certain weightlessness take him. The pull of the planet was still there, but not as strong. He also couldn't hear as well. The rockets still howled behind them, but it sounded like they were miles away. The sun was still above them, but it's light wasn't as prevalent anymore. A cold darkness took over him.

Space. Colony. Ark.

Robotnik's rocket flew toward the Death Egg, specifically into a runway that jutted out from the large orb. They slid into the path, where a door with Robotnik's insignia upon it opened to allow them admittance. Shadow closed his eyes.

…

"Oh... Shadow..." Rouge mumbled as she flew at a steady pace, her rocket engine turned off, "Come back down here alive..." her teal eyes remained on the Death Egg, even as she turned to head back down to West Side Island, "You better not fail!"

Wing Fortress Zone completed.

Now entering the final zone.

Death Egg Zone.


	14. Death Egg

Death Egg

The Black Wind wondered something as he stared out the window toward the blue orb hovering down bellow. His hand sat on the glass and pressed upon it, while his face held an expression of pure wonderment. He was on a tight schedule and should have been sticking too it. But the image of the planet Earth right there before him – an image a rare few get to experience in real time – was an image he felt was familiar to him.

"This blue planet," Shadow whispered to himself as he observed it so, "Staring at it from afar... have I seen it before?"

Finally, the gravity of the situation returned to him, pushing away his moment of self-reflection. The Black Wind clenched his fists tightly as he began walking down the hall, a visage of determination wrought upon his face. He now stood in the crown gem of Robotnik's regime; the mighty Death Egg. How the doctor created such a place with his time and resources would be a mystery to the hedgehog for days to come, but that didn't matter. He did know he was going to bring it down.

He rode Robotnik's rocket into the space station, where the cock pit slid into a pathway he couldn't reach. Pulling out a few panels in near zero-gravity, Shadow was able to roll his way into a hallway. The hall he now walked through. The Death Egg was large, though Shadow couldn't tell how large it was from where he stood. He did know Robotnik was around here somewhere.

He saw a light appear down the hall, which stopped him dead in his tracks. Immediately after, the hedgehog rushed forward as fast as he could. The light led him to a cube-shaped room, one with various machines running in the walls. As soon as Shadow entered the room, a door slammed shut behind him, trapping him inside. The Black Wind gazed to the sliding doors before gazing back, already prepared for whatever his enemy had next.

"Doctor!" he shouted, his fist shaking through the wind, "Where are you!? Show yourself this instant, you coward!"

"Ask and ye shall receive, you annoying rat!" his voice echoed.

Shadow's eyes snapped to the wall, where a metal grading slid up. On the other side of said grading was the dictator himself. Dr. Robotnik laughed as he sat behind a screen, sitting in a chair with his cane in hand. He leaned back in his chair while Shadow rammed the glass in a flash.

BONG!

"What the!?"

Robotnik's laughter echoed into his ears while the hedgehog attempted to fight out the ringing his head. Running toward Robotnik's window didn't do damn thing other than hurt his head. After fighting off the pain, he glared at the doctor through the window with his teeth bare in full, while Robotnik laughed and laughed and laughed.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" he chortled, "Did you hurt your head? Oh, I'm so terribly sorry!"

"You know, Robotnik, that window isn't going to keep me out for long," Shadow claimed with a smile on his lips, "I will get in there and tear you apart, you know?"

"Oh, I know, Shadow," Robotnik said as he tapped the window himself, "Nothing can contain you. From South Island to West Side Island, you constantly run afoul of my works. My best laid plans – like the full proof Barrier on Wing Fortress Zone – were all stopped by you and your annoying friend! I realized my traps and Egg Mobile units would only be destroyed or stopped by the both of you..." he smiled dementedly so suddenly, "I needed something like you! You've become to genre savvy; you know how to deal with any giant robot I throw at you, or any Badnik group for that. But what if I created something like you? Something smaller, but still strong? Something that could match your speeds? Which leads me to the grand unveiling of my newest, creation! Say hello to your mirror double, Shadow!"

Flames suddenly shot out from the ceiling, only a few yards away from Shadow himself. He pulled back with his fists at the ready, gazing upon these flames as a being descended from above. It descended ever so slowly, giving Shadow all the time in the world to analyze it. A large silver being; bulky, with varying degrees of smooth, round surfaces, and sharp pointy ones. It appeared to be clunky as well, with Shadow thinking he could dance around the machine without even trying.

But that's not what had the Black Wind so flustered. It was how this machine looked like a clone of him. It was hedgehog in nature, with quills pointing skyward much like his own. It even had red stripes on the back of its quills, much like his own. Seeing this machine stand before him with its black eyes silent made the hedgehog shiver. He didn't like it, not one bit.

"Say hello to Mecha Shadow," Robotnik said, a gleam in his eye, "Or as we like to call him, Silver Shadow. A good color, don't you think? Silver Shadow here was created with the idea of a robian in mind. Remember when I roboticized your parents on South Island? I took their designs and forged this beautiful machine. It's based directly on you, if you hadn't noticed."

"This shotty faker is going down!" Shadow growled, his hand surging with power, "BEGONE! CHAOS SPEAR!"

He fired his blast right into the machine's face, covering it in a rather large explosion. The room shook, and Shadow smiled, though that same smile became a stunned circle as the explosion dissipated. The 'Silver Shadow' was still there, standing tall in the epicenter of the detonation. Upon it sat no marking or scratch, appearing just as pristine as it was when it first arrived.

Honestly, Shadow wasn't that surprised.

"Are you done yet?" Robotnik asked as he looked at Shadow from behind the screen, an image of annoyance on his face, "Now, as you can see, your menial Chaos Powers don't affect Silver Shadow. What part of 'it's based directly on you' don't you understand? So many machines I created to serve dual purposes. The Egg Mobile units – while perfectly capable of killing you on their own – were all created to serve other purposes as well. Even the Egg Barrier – which I thought would kill you with zero effort – proved to be a failure. But Silver Shadow's entire purpose is simple; it wants you dead. A simple algorithm propels it's brain. I call it 'Priority One'. All my machines are programmed with it. It's means is simple; whenever it sees you, they abandon whatever they were doing to instead focus on killing you and killing you alone! Silver Shadow here is programmed only with 'Priority One', as you will see in a few seconds," he reached forward to a command panel in front of him, his finger hovering above a red button "Now observe! As he comes to life!"

He pressed the red button. Shadow looked at the doctor, before looking over to Silver Shadow. The Black Wind remained tensed as he looked at his mechanical doppelganger. And he remained standing like that. For the next one or two minutes. And Silver Shadow never moved.

"What!?" Robotnik growled as he slammed his hand down on the red 'activate' button over and over again, "Work, damn you, work! Turn on! Activated! Come on, come on!"

"Such a shame..." Shadow said as he stood tall, eyes still on his robotic clone with a face of disappointment, "And here I was thinking I'd get a challenge..."

"What is going on here, Silver Shadow!?" Robotnik growled, "Activate now you bucket of bolts!"

"Silver Shadow won't answer you, Ivo," another voice rang, a woman's voice, "Because you are no longer in control..."

"What? That voice...?" Shadow remarked, while Robotnik's glasses fell from his face.

"Maria?" he stated, "What are you doing!?"

Silver Shadow suddenly jostled, alerting Shadow. He glared at the machine, watching as it began moving. The quills on its back began to move like a saw blade, while it's head turned up to face the hedgehog. Blue eyes suddenly appeared on its visor, and it glared directly into Shadow's soul.

"Shadow the hedgehog," Maria said, now in complete control of Silver Shadow, "I'm going to kill you."

"That voice," Shadow said as he pointed at Silver Shadow, "I recognize that voice! That's the same voice from Wood Zone and...!" he seemingly had a moment of clarity, "I know that voice! You spoke to me before! In Scrap Brain Zone! That's why that voice sounds so familiar to me! You taunted me back then!"

"That I did, Shadow," Maria claimed as the Silver Shadow started moving, one finger pointing at the hedgehog, "I was assured of our victory on South Island, until you showed up. All of our plans have been ruined by you up until this point in time. Well no further! At this moment, I will take pleasure in killing you with hands!"

The Silver Shadow's hands began to constrict around the air, as if it were strangling someone. But then it stopped, as the machine spread its legs apart and lifted its arms. Now in a battle ready stance, Shadow did likewise. He rose his fists and slid his legs apart, all while his red eyes glared at his silver clone. He could feel sweat drip from his brow, which made him antsy. The Black Wind had no idea what tricks this 'Silver Shadow' had for him.

Robonik's fingers hovered above Silver Shadows deactivation button, but he pulled back from doing such a thing. Though he was obviously surprised by Maria's actions – especially considering he upgraded her so she wouldn't disobey his orders like this – he was intrigued by what she could bring to the table.

Boosters on the back of Silver Shadow's feet suddenly activated, and it rushed forward at sonic speeds. Shadow leaped out of the way, his hand slammed on the ground, and he rolled to safety. Suddenly Silver Shadow turned around, its actions like a drift. Leaping up high, the clone jumped into the sky and began to spin. Its body was clad in a glowing yellow aura, one Shadow recognized all to well.

Homing Attack.

Silver Shadow sped forward again with speeds to fast to quantify. However, Shadow was just as fast, and was able to dodge the blow by leaping up high. Silver Shadow uncurled from its homing attack after landing upon the ground, but with Shadow in the air. He stared down to his doppelganger with a smile on his face, then exclaimed,

"I've got you now!"

Putting his hands together and connecting them into a combined fist, he dropped them down upon the robot as he fell. But right before his strike could connect, Silver Shadow vanished. The Black Wind slammed upon the earth with his body and fists, stunned silent by what occurred. All the while, Robotnik's insidious laughter echoed into his ear. Shadow glared up to the doctor, and watched as a certain machine phased back into existence from thin air.

"Mwa-ha-ha-ha!" Robotnik chortled, nearly falling back into his chair as he laughed at his foe, "What's wrong, Shadow!? Surprised silent!?"

"But that's impossible," Shadow stated as he stared at Silver Shadow, the machine regaining its battle stance, "That machine used Chaos Control. But how...?" his eyes grew wide and he stood tall, "Unless it has a Chaos Emerald!"

"Oh, Shadow, it seems you've learned Silver Shadow's dirty little secret," Robotnik claimed, his laughter stopping while he prodded his fingers, a despicable smile on his face, "It is a little better clone of you, so it's only right that I give it a Chaos Emerald as well. With that little trinket, it's capable of all the things you're capable of, and then some!"

"We'll see about that..."

Shadow darted for Silver Shadow, now taking up the offensive in the fight. He threw a fist at the machine's face, who took it without any attempt at defending itself. Instead, Shadow's fist slammed into the machination's face, where he began to feel the pain. The Black Wind pulled his fist back, clenching it tight after throwing a blow which, honestly, should have destroyed Silver Shadow in one hit.

The Black Wind wheeled back, going over in his mind the battles he's had so far. Immediately, he could tell Silver Shadow was created from tougher material than Egg Mobile units. An Egg Mobile – when struck – didn't cause him pain. Sure, it may sting here or there, but not actually hurt like this.

"No, please, enlighten me," Robotnik chuckled, "Do that again, Shadow."

The Black Wind growled before standing up again. He watched his silver clone very closely, when its thrusters suddenly activated. It dashed for him, taking him off guard. With one arm out, Silver Shadow gave its real counterpart a devastating close line which winded him. Shadow gave a hard cough as his back hit the metal wall with a press so strong, it caused a dent. He attempted to hold Silver Shadow off of him, but the mechanical beast constantly applied pressure. All the while, Dr. Robotnik laughed.

The Black Wind kicked up his feet finally, pressing them to Silver Shadow's chest. Giving a hard grunt, he caused his air shoes to ignite and push the robot away. Given the chance to breath, Shadow fell forward with his hand around his neck. He growled as he glared at Silver Shadow, shaking his fist as well.

"Chaos..." Shadow growled, "Lance!"

He suddenly flared red, and a so did his weapon. Forging it for use as a blade instead of a blast, Shadow began to wield his Chaos Lance with both hands. Silver Shadow cocked its head at the action, watching as Shadow spun his lance around like a fan. It began to shine a yellow light as it stuck its claws out. Shadow watched as it projected multiple Chaos Spears around its body, all of them aimed at him.

They fired like a machine gun, and all with deadly accuracy to boot. Shadow rushed toward Silver Shadow with his Chaos Lance twirling about, deflecting blasts for the most part. Sure, some struck skin, but they were diverted enough to be superficial wounds at best.

And then he stood before Silver Shadow, and flared a bright white. Said shine was so great, Robotnik needed to cover his eyes from behind the screen. When the shine faded, Silver Shadow stood with smoke streaming off its body. However, Shadow was nowhere to be seen. His double looked around for him, before a red blade slashed against its next. Steel flew from the powerful – but not fatal – strike.

Shadow skidded to a halt beside Silver Shadow, grunting a curse as he did so. He expected his blow to kill the robot, but it was fast enough to dodge it. Silver Shadow wheeled its head down to face Shadow, before lifting its claws. In a blur, it rocketed for the Black Wind, embedding its claws into the ground as it missed its stab.

Shadow rolled onto his feet, only to slip down and kick at Silver Shadow's feet and arm, his showed igniting with flames. The strike knocked Silver Shadow down, to which the Black Wind reacted quickly. He leaped up then dropped his body down on the faux hedgehog, only for it to vanish into thin air one more. Shadow pressed upon the ground with a mighty stomp, now infuriated that he missed his chance to end his clone. Silver Shadow reappeared on the opposite side of the room, glaring at its foe with unfeeling blue eyes.

Shadow pulled up and rose his fists, readying himself for whatever Silver Shadow had planned. At the same time, he thought about what he could do to beat the machination. It hurt to strike it, and all his Chaos powers didn't appear to work either. Chaos Lance did the best, but if it were to miss, he'd be in a bad position.

"Chaos... BOOST!" Shadow roared as a powerful explosion roared around his body, "Level 3!"

As the red aura flowed around his feet, causing the room to shake, Shadow growled at his opponent. He lifted his hand, causing his Chaos powers to swirl into his palm to create a surging red blast. As he did so, he roared out,

"Play time's over! Time to step it up!"

Shadow threw the blast straight toward Silver Shadow, who rose its arms to defend against the blow. The blast struck his silver clone, creating an explosion large enough to shake the entire Death Egg. It was large, and swirled like a dome as it destroyed everything around it. Shadow himself was thrown back by his blast, though he landed on his feet before hurting himself.

The blast steadily began to diminish not so long after. Shadow gave a smile as he looked at his attack, only to be shocked when it finally subsided. Beneath the blast which he enhanced with his powers, Silver Shadow stood. Sure, it was marred with scratches and burn marks, but it wasn't injured.

"Dammit!" Shadow growled, while Robotnik laughed his head off.

Silver Shadow looked at itself, checking its body. Then it looked back up to Shadow and cocked its head.

"Is that all?" Maria asked, her optics squeezing down on the hedgehog.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!" the doctor howled, "This is too much! Tooooooo much! Silver Shadow is forged from pure Megatal! The strongest alloy on our planet! It would take an immeasurable force to break through its body! You should've let me kill you before, Shadow! At least then you wouldn't have to face such pain!"

"Indeed..." Maria said, with specific metal slots opening upon Silver Shadow's body.

From these slots, Silver Shadow began to vent Chaos energy. Said energy doused its body, coating it in a red aura much like Shadow when he activated Chaos Boost. The aura went through three shades of strength and length, showing that Silver Shadow too attain Chaos Boost level 3. Seeing this, the Black Wind swallowed his spit.

Energy swirled around Silver Shadow's boosters, and when they ignited, it sounded like an implosion. Silver Shadow rushed forward with so much energy from its engines, the ground was scorched black by the fire and power. Shadow didn't have time to react; its fist struck his face. He was dazed by the strike and lost his footing, while Silver Shadow vanished into a red and silver blur. When it reappeared, it was right at Shadow's side where it struck with another punch. He flew away, where he landed right into Silver Shadow's arms. It slammed him down upon the ground, creating a dent with its massive press.

Silver Shadow held the Black Wind to the ground for a few minutes, then picked up the hedgehog by his collar. The hedgehog had blood leaking from his lips and felt incredibly weak, yet he never broke down. He grabbed Silver Shadow's arm and pulled on it tightly, attempting to free himself from its hold. It didn't work, however.

"I hate you so much," Maria said as she looked at Shadow through her cold, unflinching eyes, "You have no clue how good this feels right now..."

"Damn... you..." Shadow stated through pants for breath.

"Why don't you give up?" Maria asked, performing a very strange action of brushing a finger along his forehead, "I assure you, your death will be quick. I don't want you to suffer, Shadow..."

"I can't give up," Shadow claimed as he put his hands on Silver Shadow's arm, "If I give up..." he began flaring a blue color, "Then... mom..." he closed his eyes, "Dad..." this new blue aura began growing from his body, "Uncle Chuck..." he clenched tightly on Silver Shadow's arm, creating a dent, "Rouge... they'll all die... I... RRRRR! I can't let that happen!"

"What is going on here!?" Robotnik cried out, watching as Shadow turned a bright blue color, "Shadow's never done this before!"

"This is the ultimate power!" Shadow claimed.

His hands slammed down upon Silver Shadow's arm, clenching hard enough to force a dent on the limb. Silver Shadow pulled to retrieve its arm, but Shadow wouldn't let go. With this new blue glow, his powers seemed to be vastly superior to any Chaos Boost he mustered before. More inline to those monstrous Chaos Blasts he was capable of every once in a while. But this appeared to be a more augmented and concentrated version of that destructive wave. With all that power at his fingertips, Shadow applied even more pressure to Silver Shadow's arm. He crushed it, then tore the limb clean off.

"Ah!?" Maria howled as she fell back in Silver Shadow's body, causing the machine to do likewise. Machines can't feel pain. But she can.

"Impossible! IMPOSSIBLE!" Robotnik claimed, "Megatal is completely impervious! How is this possible!?"

"Chaos!" Shadow roared, his hand surging yellow with electrical energy, "SPEAR!"

He slammed his palm onto Silver Shadow's open wound, where he began charging Silver Shadow with too much energy. He began overcharging the silver clone, with his bolts of power running through its wires and circuits. Explosions ripped beneath its metal chassis, causing it to shake. Worst of all, Maria felt it all.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" she roared, as the explosions from within caused her physical pain.

Them metal platings on Silver Shadow's body were sent flying in all directions, before Shadow finally pilled back. Silver Shadow stood, shaking on its feet, when one more explosion roared through its head. Its eyes went dim, it fell back, and was finally taken by one last detonation. The explosions took the entire machine, with Shadow standing in the flames.

Senses. Loading... loading... loading...

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Ma-ri-A... Maria... E-Series Model M Ver. 3.2.2 Maria Robotnik deactivated.

Maria's holographic body was flung out of Silver Shadow's body. She landed on the ground, gasping for air. Robotnik watched as the fake woman attempting to fight back against something, only to fail miserably. She lifted her arm, where her limb began to fade away into various blocks.

"Oh -CLICK!- no. Oh -CLICK!- no..." she turned to the screen, "I-CLICK!-vo."

She vanished into thin air soon after, this final pained cry escaping her as well. Robotnik gazed at the area in front of him, before dragging his eyes down to the command screen before him. He lifted his finger, where in which he pressed a green button. Nothing happened.

"Maria..." he mumbled, feeling disheartened, "Maria..."

That turned into pure anger moments later. His red eyes shined brightly, and his hands began to scratch upon the command panel. He gave a growl and bit his lips, then stood from his chair as he pressed upon the device.

He shook, he growled, but then he stopped. Dr. Robotnik swallowed his spit and shook his head. Then he started nodding. Pressing another button, a door opened in the room he stood, which he used to exit the area.

Shadow walked through Silver Shadow's corpse picking up the blue Chaos Emerald it left. He gripped it tightly then ran out of the flames, when a door opened before him. On the other end of the doorway was Robotnik himself. Seeing him immediately activated Shadow's rage.

"Robotnik!" he roared, to which the doctor shook his head.

"You have no right to talk to me like that," Robotnik said as he rose his Chaos Emerald adorned cane, "Especially after what you did to Maria..."

Hearing that name, Shadow's rage spiked.

"How do you know that name!?" Shadow growled, "Speak up right now you!"

"I've had enough of our games now, Shadow," Robotnik stated as he began walking down the hall, "It's time I finally ended you."

"Answer me, dammit!"

Shadow darted for Robotnik, running down the hall in chase. Standing on an automatic floor, Robotnik merely stood tall as he slid forward, just out of reach of his nemesis. Shadow continued chasing him down, before they entered an even larger room than before. This large room held many windows, with one side allowing sight to the Earth. Just as before, the sight was impossible to describe. Shadow found himself staring.

"I've always wanted to do this," Robotnik claimed as he stopped sliding forward on the automatic floor, "To crush you beneath my feet..." there was this dome shaped object in the floor, on larger than Robotnik. He opened a door to this object, "But alas, I couldn't... Despite being of a superior race, you're just too strong, Shadow. But I'd have my dream; the dream of stepping on you like the ant you are."

"It's over, doctor!" Shadow stated, "I'm going to send you straight to Hell!"

Robotnik merely shook his head as he climbed into the dome-shaped structure, where he pulled the door shut. Shadow ran for the object, only to slide to a halt as he stood outside of it. Inside the machine, Robontik sat down in a chair. It was a cockpit of some sort, with various buttons, switches, and God knows what sitting around him. Robotnik flipped a switch, causing a screen to appear before him. On said screen, the image of Shadow staring up to him.

Robotnik smiled. His finger flipped a switch.

The room began shaking beneath Shadow's feet. He gazed all around the massive area, watching as the dome Robotnik leaped into began to rise. As it did so, it became apparent the dome-shaped object was actually a face. Robotnik's face. It was red, with a yellow collar and yellow wrists, but with a black underside. Far removed from that brown suit and tie Robotnik usually wears.

The great machine towered over Shadow, easily looming over anything the hedgehog had faced in this adventure or any adventure he's had. In fact, Shadow standing up at foot barely came to the edge of the robot's ankle.

He glared up to the machination, feeling his entire body quake. Sweat formed from his brow, his heart began to race, and he swallowed his spit. Shadow was actually scared. Something about this machine had the Black Wind flustered. Like a part of him believed he was actually in over his head.

"This is the Egg Emperor," Robotnik claimed as the machine stood before the Black Wind, "I've created many machines that serve many purposes. This one's purpose is simple; destruction..." he looked down upon Shadow, "I'm going to start killing you now, and I won't stop until there's nothing left of your existence..."

Shadow felt that pit in his heart swell. He clenched his chest in an attempt to settle himself, and looked up to Robotnik as he did so. Now wasn't the time to suddenly get cold feet. Giant robot or not, he was going to win this fight. He'd put everything he had into it.

Robotnik took one step forward. The monstrous press of the machine's foot caused the entire room to quake. Shadow walked back, his fist still pulled up, wondering what insanity he was in for in this fight. Robotnik took another step forward, once more causing the entire room to quake. Shadow shuffled back on his feet, fist still high, still wondering what the doctor had planned.

The Egg Emperor walked forward again, then stopped. Suddenly, it pulled back on the retreat, and stood there. Until rockets on its back flared to life. The Egg Emperor suddenly took off into the air, causing smog and fumes to fill the floor from its exhaust. Shadow coughed as he waved his hands around in an attempt to push the fog back, when he noticed a strange green marking on his body. It highlighted him, targeted him. When he gazed up, he realized the Egg Emperor was falling on him.

Shadow darted out of the way just in time to dodge a deadly press from the massive machine, as it instead slammed into the ground. The entire room shook to insane levels, knocking Shadow's footing off and causing him to crash and tumble. As he rolled on the ground, Robotnik faced him, and pointed his arms out. Rockets on the back of the Egg Emperor's arm ignited, and sent the hand Shadow's way.

He didn't see it coming, honestly. By the time he looked up, the Black Wind only saw silver. The claw slammed into his body, sending him flying into the wall. He bounced off it, when the Egg Emperor's other arm crashed into him. Taking two blows, Shadow fell to the ground in a crumpled heap, feeling his body rage all around him.

But that wasn't enough to keep him down. The arms returned to the Egg Emperor, and Shadow stood up. Cracking the knuckles in his hands, he rubbed some blood which leaked from his lips. His hand surged with power a few seconds after as he charged up his recognizable Chaos Spear. Already knowing the strike wasn't going to work (as it had failed against every high-leveled Boss he came across), Shadow instead searched for the Egg Emperor's weak spot. Only thing was, he didn't find one.

Shadow flung the Chaos Spear at the Egg Emperor's face, watching as the blast bounced harmlessly off. Immediately after, he followed up his first attack with a homing one. His curled body slammed into the Egg Emperor's face with enough force to dent the head of an Egg Mobile. But with the Egg Emperor, Shadow felt intense pain resonate around his spine. He fell back onto the ground, gasping for air, flabbergasted by what just occurred.

"Much like Mecha Shadow before, the Egg Emperor is comprised of Megatal... this time though, tempered Megatal. It's truly the most impenetrable force in the known galaxy! I'll prove so by removing you!"

Shadow rolled out of the way just in time to dodge another press from the egomaniac doctor. He crawled to his feet as he dodged another stomp, then turned around and fired a series of Chaos Spears at the Egg Mobile's face. They continued to bounce off, even when he activated Chaos Boost to give his blasts an extra punch. Chaos Spear, Chaos Lance, neither of them even phased the machine, let alone did any damage. He needed something more defined, something stronger than just these random blasts.

Shadow opened the palm of his hand right before his face, creating ball of distorted space. Leaping up high, he flung the blast Robotnik's way whilst exclaiming,

"Chaos Ball!"

The ball curled into the air then slammed onto the back of the Egg Emperor's head, where it attached itself like glue. Smirking, Shadow lifted up two fingers then roared out,

"NOW! EXPAND!"

The Chaos Ball began to glow, shining bright enough to be seen from Shadow's position. And then a light grew in size, a rippling powerful light that took the form of a large orb. Said orb swallowed the Egg Emperor whole, causing a detonation which swallowed that side of the room in smog. Shadow smiled at the sight while the wind howled all around him. He knew his attack wasn't enough to destroy the machine whole, but he figured it would cause visible damage.

He was completely wrong.

From the fog and debris, the Egg Emperor walked out completely clean.

"I'm mystified, honestly, Shadow," Robotnik claimed as he walked toward the hedgehog, "You failed to kill Mecha Shadow the same way earlier, why would you suddenly believe it would work against me?"

Shadow growled and refused to give the statement a proper response. Instead, he began charging his powers. Activated Chaos Boost level 3, he put his powers to the peak of their ability. But only a few seconds after performing the action, he toppled over in exhaustion. His Chaos Boost fizzled out, and he felt substantially weaker.

"Please, do over exert yourself, Shadow," Robotnik claimed as he marched toward the hedgehog, "It will make my job for easier..."

He pointed his arm at the hedgehog, then sent it flying forward with its rocket fist. Shadow smiled.

"Chaos Control!" he yelled out, causing time to slow down drastically.

In the pocket of slowed space, Shadow grabbed a hold of the Egg Emperor's flying arm. Using his impressive strength, he turned the arm around and sent it flying Robotnik's way. Time immediately returned to normal after doing. The arm flew at speeds too fast to dodge; impossible so. Shadow watched with sharp eyes, waiting for the moment of impact when...

The arm suddenly stopped. Right there, just like that. The arm came to a sudden halt only a few feet from Robotnik's chest. Even if the arm had engines on the front of the fist – which it didn't – it would be impossible for the arm to come to such a stop in such a short amount of time.

"The Egg Emperor is equipped with an electromagnetic shield, Shadow," the doctor claimed, answering the hedgehog's silent question, "It's been specifically tuned to repel Megetal so something like this wouldn't happen. Good try though; it proves your brain isn't as feeble and small as I thought it would be. Every machine of mine you've faced so far, you've been able to overcome. Whether it be with Rouge or general craftiness on your side, you somehow learn to exploit the weakness of my machines. Or, at the very least, overpower them. However, with the Egg Emperor, I created a machine with no weaknesses to speak of. I've gone through every test, every possible outcome, every power of yours at varying levels to create a machine of impervious levels! Go ahead, throw everything you've got at me, I'll keep walking to crush you!"

"You seem to forget, doctor!" Shadow claimed as he stood up tall, "I've already broken your 'impervious' Silver Shadow, what makes you think I won't do the same to you?"

"Oh, I've already thought of the impossiblity that you'd break the Egg Emperor," Robotnik claimed, "But what are the chances of you surviving long enough to perform such a feet? I'll tell you now; extremely low!"

"I'll show you!" Shadow claimed as he crouched down and readied a spin dash.

He charged up enough kinetic energy to destroy a mountain, then flew off at Robotnik at sonic speeds. Instead of going for the head, Shadow slammed into the Egg Emperor's bottom half. The blow struck between its legs, where Shadow bounced down to the ground with pain on his body. As with before, he barely had enough time to dodge another press from the machine. However, he was kicked by the other foot, and sent flying away.

The Black Wind landed on his side, contorting in pain and growling as he did so. Robotnik's sickening laughter echoed into his ears as he suffered, and the machine got closer to him. Hearing that laughter caused Shadow to turn red, his aura exploding to levels not seen in a while. His rage spiked, he stood up with a burning power raging through his veins. And with the green Chaos Emerald in his hands, Shadow felt stronger than ever before.

"Damn you doctor!" Shadow roared, "I'll kill you for this!" he began shaking, as if he couldn't even control his power, "I'LL KILL YOU! CHAOS BLAST!"

Shadow leaped into the sky, his body curled in. Suddenly throwing out his limbs, his entire body went off like a bomb, triggering an explosion which ate away at the room in a circular fashion. It continued to grow as it red shine covered everything, the Egg Emperor included. Unlike his other Chaos Blasts, this attack wasn't quick. It went on for what felt like forever, all the while the hedgehog roared through it all.

And when it all faded, so did Shadow. Exhausted and nearly too weak to move, the hedgehog fell into the metal floor below with a loud 'THUD!' The hedgehog clenched his chest tightly, a small smile creeping upon his face. Call him cocky, but he put everything into that blast. It was simply impossible for anything to survive such an attack, let alone something created by the doctor.

BANG! Then again, he's been wrong before.

Shadow worked his head toward his red blast, watching as the Egg Emperor walked toward him without even a scratch on its body.

"What?" Shadow said as he forced his body to standing, almost cracking from the added pressure, "How'd you?"

"I am completely impervious to everything, Shadow," Robotnik claimed, "Besides, that blast wasn't nearly as potent as some of the others thrown against me. Come on; much time time did you really take to rest, hm? Besides, you had to fight through Wing Fortress Zone and even Silver Shadow; do you really think you're up to the task of fighting me?" he laughed sadistically at him, "If there's one thing I can say about you, Shadow, it's that you never give up! But haven't you ever thought that running through things at full speed will kill you faster than anything!? For change, why don't you be smart? Why don't you submit? Give in? Give up?"

"I'm... not... done... yet!" Shadow growled as he stood in front of the Egg Emperor, fists at his side, "I haven't given up yet, Robotnik!" he put his hands on the golden rings around his wrist, "I'm not going to give up..." he dropped the wring around his left hand, "Not so long as there's people waiting for me. People who believe in me..." he dropped the wring around his right hand, "Not so long as you're still here. I'm not going to give up, Robotnik. I'm not going down," he smiled, "Not alone, anyway."

The rings around Shadow's wrists fell to the ground, causing Robotnik to look down upon them. He had no idea what that meant; weren't Shadow's rings simply cosmetic? If so, why was he removing them? Why were the scanners going wild on Shadow's body? Why were the Chaos readings bouncing wildly? What was going on?

"Wait! This is it!" Robotnik claimed as a golden hue ripped around Shadow's body, "This is it! You did this before, I know it!" he got closer to the screen, "You annoying little rat!"

Shadow's body suddenly exploding in a glowing yellow light, one with extreme power. He started hovering in the air, flying just above the doctor. Hands opening at his side, the Black Wind began charging some attack. Golden-red orbs appeared around both hands, while his entire body continued to exude this powerful golden aura.

"CHHAAAAOOOOSSSS!" Shadow roared, before aiming both hands forward, "BLAAAAAAAASSTTT!"

Instead of the usual detonation of a large radius that destroys everything around him, the Black Wind forced his eruption of destruction into one single beam. This condensed and augmented beam held far greater power than any Chaos Blast Shadow ever forged in his life. It slammed down upon the Egg Emperor's body, a large splash of chaotic energy erupted from the point of connection.

Robotnik found himself being pushed back by the megaton blast, which shocked him nonetheless. Shadow wasted all his energy using that Chaos Blast from before, how was he capable of performing such an attack now? He scanned the entire area to locate such an answer, when said scanners fell upon the rings Shadow removed from his wrists. They weren't the usual kind of rings one would find randomly. These were special, more like handcuffs; they bound Shadow's connection to his greater strength.

Said strength was enough to push the doctor back and cause damage to the Egg Emperor. If he didn't act quick, there was no telling what Shadow's attack could do. Robotnik began to flip various switches inside the Egg Emperor, before latching both hands upon his controls.

"Divert all power to maximize Chaos shields! Bring me the Chaos Emeralds!" Robotnik claimed, "That blast is not getting through!" he then removed the purple Chaos Emerald from his cane and slammed it upon a special slot on his machine's dashboard, "It's not getting through!"

Shadow continued to unload his beam upon the Egg Emperor's body, being completely ignorant of the Chaos Emeralds which appeared out of nowhere. Shadow had the green one, but around Robotnik in a ring, the red, blue, light-blue, silver, and purple Chaos Emeralds appeared. The six Chaos Emeralds worked in tandem with one another to project a shield around the Egg Emperor's body, a shield strong enough to rebuff Shadow's advances.

"What?" Shadow growled with wide eyes as he noticed his beam was no longer getting through.

"I've got you now, Shadow!" Robotnik claimed as he laughed, "HAH!"

The machine gave a thrust, which caused Shadow's Chaos Beam to fly far into the endless ceiling above. The attack was over, and Shadow felt the draining effects of performing such an act. He continued hovering above as his power faded away, and once it was all gone, fell into the ground. The hedgehog bounced after the impact, only to fall again and grow silent.

"Uuuuuuh... uuuuuuggghh..." he groaned in pain, hands reaching out for his inhibitor rings.

Robotnik walked toward the Black Wind with earth-shattering steps, all while the hedgehog grabbed his inhibitor rings from off the ground. He was about to place them back upon his wrists, when the hand of the Egg Emperor clamped down onto his hand. The hedgehog groaned in pain as he was suddenly lifted up, now being at eye level with the machine itself.

"I wasn't being all that forthcoming in my Egg Emperor's abilities, Shadow," the doctor claimed as he gazed at his mortal enemy, "If there's anything that can break through the power of Megatal, it's Chaos energy. They're so wild and frenzied, it's hard to get an exact reading of their strength, especially when considering you. So I designed a force-field strong enough to rebuff your powers. As you can tell, it uses the power of the Chaos Emeralds."

Shadow didn't utter a word as he was held up high, his scarlet eyes traveling to the doctor before him. Robotnik laughed at his nemesis as he shook the hedgehog a bit, only to stop a few moments later.

"What's wrong, Shadow?" Robotnik asked, "No snappy remark? No witty comment? C'mon, say something. Make it worth my while."

Shadow looked up at the doctor, then closed his mouth. His mouth and muzzle moved a bit, before he spat onto the Egg Emperor's face. Dr. Robotnik's smile left after the action as he leaned back into his chair with a sigh.

"So childish if you, Shadow," he claimed with eyes rolling, "Let me teach you some!" he lifted the hedgehog up, "MANNERS!" then slammed him into the earth.

Shadow roared with pain as he met the metal ground, feeling bones break inside his body. Robotnik – not finished with one simple slam – lifted Shadow high again, then slammed him into the earth once more. The hedgehog roared in pain from that slam as well, while the Egg Emperor released him.

A shadow loomed over the Black Wind's body, making him look up. It was the Egg Emperor's foot.

"I've always wanted to do this, Shadow," Robotnik claimed with a smirk, "To step on you!"

"ARGHUH!?" Shadow roared, feeling the Egg Emperor stomp on him, causing even more limbs to break.

Robotnik lifted his foot again, then dropped it down on Shadow's body again. The Black Wind howled once more as his body was crushed, blood coming from his mouth. Robotnik stomped on him over and over again, breaking his body even more so than before. He could barely keep awake; the pain was simply too much.

"Oh. Oh. Oh," Robotnik panted, "I could do this all day. Stomp on you. But I'm not, Shadow," the doctor began dropping the foot on him slowly, "I want you to hear this. I'm going to crush you now. Put you out of your misery. And then, I'm going to go down to the Earth, and kill everyone you care for. Starting with the bat. Then your family. Then everyone," the foot met the back of the hedgehog's body, and began to drop slowly, "Sayonara, Shadow the hedgehog."

So this was it, huh? The end of Shadow the hedgehog? In a floating base above the planet, red eyes on the blue Earth, being crushed by a dictator. He could feel the metallic foot press hard against his broken body; the end was coming so slowly. He was going to be crushed like an ant.

Alright Shadow, dear. I think you've lazed about far enough today. Come on inside; we don't want you vanishing like other children, now do we?

"Mom...?"

C'mon Shadow. Your mom was cooking up some of that lovely food of hers. Can't wait to get some myself!

"Dad...?"

But remember this; you aren't alone in this world... Shadow… Even if you believe everyone in the world will be against you, know that I'll always remain by your side. Remember that.

"Rouge...?"

I beg of you, Shadow. Give them a chance to be...

Happy...

"Ma... ri... a...?"

Chaos is power. Power enriched by the heart.

Shadow lifted his hands, placing them upon the bottom of the Egg Emperor's foot in an attempt to push it away.

"Chaos is power!" he stated, gaining strength from nowhere, "Power enriched by the heart!"

"What?" Robotnik murmured, watching as the Chaos Emeralds were pulled away from him, "What's happening!? Shadow!? What are you...!?"

The hedgehog started turning gold, and the Egg Emperor's foot was pushed up and away. Robotnik couldn't believe his eyes as he put more strength into his stomp. And yet his foot was still pushed against by the hedgehog beneath. A golden flame erupted beneath the Egg Emperor's foot, and that very same golden light shot up like a bullet. The Egg Emperor was thrown back by the explosion of force, though it skidded to a halt upon its feet.

Hovering before him, a golden light constantly darted around like a pinball. It was near impossible for Robotnik to train his eyes on the light for any more than a split-second, before that same light would dart somewhere else.

Eventually, the light came to a halt right in front of the Egg Emperor. Robotnik readied his arms to strike, but the golden light shot at him.

KER-POW...


	15. Sweet Dreams

Sweet Dreams

Emergency! Emergency! Death Egg energy systems are low! Emergency! Emergency! Death Egg cannot sustain flight! Emergency! Emergency! Death Egg's altitude is dropping at an alarming rate! Emergency! Emergency! Rocket engines have suffered a malfunction! Escape is advisable!

"Ugh..."

The hedgehog's hand curled inward a bit, as if he were clawing at the floor. His body roared with pain, but a bearable pain. It wasn't the body destroying pain of having his bones break, or bleeding out over the floor to death. Strangely, he could move his limbs, as if they weren't shattered to pieces after getting crushed like he was.

His red eyes opened, lining the area around him. An alarm was blaring, and a red light constantly shined in time with said alarm. Not only that, but the entire area was shaking violently. He could hear explosions echo all around him, though he wasn't sure how close it was. He didn't parse this information together as fast as he should have however, and continued to writhe in pain on the floor.

Until metal fell in front of him. The black and red hedgehog got to to his hands and knees, while this pain continued to quake throughout his body. He looked down to the ground, where finding under his body, two golden rings. His inhibitor rings. He snatched them up quickly and slid them around his wrists, sealing the energy he was leaking. Then he looked up.

Shadow the hedgehog. Couldn't remember anything. Seriously, how did he get here? The last thing he could recall was being crushed by Robotnik. Then how was he here, on the ground, perfectly fine, body and bones in tact? Shouldn't have been as flat as a pancake right now? And where was Dr. Robotnik and his Egg Emperor at anyway?

Shadow turned around, where his question was answered. Not even a few yards away from him, the mighty Egg Emperor laid on the ground, heavily damaged with a large hole through its chest. Shadow stared through said hole, where he could see straight through it. His eyes traveled to his hands next, where he opened and closed them. Did he cause that? He sure as hell didn't remember doing such a thing. He'd definitely remember ripping through something made of pure Megatal.

"What the...?" Shadow mumbled as he walked forward, staring at the Egg Emperor among other things.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Each sound-off echoed in time with a fiery inferno that would erupt behind the Egg Emperor. And said blaze was heading Shadow's way. He started walking backwards, then turned, then began running. The fire was chasing him, forcing the Black Wind to run faster. He skated at high-speeds, though the explosions sounding off all around the Death Egg continued to hound his actions. He started skating faster, with this glowing yellow aura funneling around his body. Outrunning fire isn't something anyone can do, and now Shadow himself was realizing this. The Death Egg's explosions were still chasing him, and getting faster as well. He continued running down this hallway, not knowing where it would lead him, but praying it would help him escape.

Shadow's eyes eventually fell upon a window. He didn't decrease his speed; in fact he increased them. Roaring, the hedgehog rushed through the fire and broke through the window's glass. He felt space's weightlessness take him, before the fires from Death Egg's explosion pushed him even further away. It also dazed him.

He hovered through the vacuum of space briefly, slightly unconscious, barely able to move, and impossible to make his way around. One mistake and he could be flying straight into space. But instead, the planet began pulling him in. Being on the edge of space itself, the Earth still held considerable pull on him. He began falling, faster and faster, still barely alive to the world around him. He stared skyward, to the heaven's above, watching as space escaped him. He could see the Death Egg, riddled with explosions, drift off through the sky into the distance. He reached out for it.

…

Rouge stood on the edge of Emerald Hill Zone, her eyes on the skies above. It was bright day, and yet she could see a star falling in the blue skies. All around here, there stood other mobians and creatures. Those who recognized her knew she was in league with the Black Wind, and knew they old her their gratitude. But she didn't care.

"What's going on, Miss Rouge?" a blue bird asked as she gently descended upon her wing.

"I don't know, Flicky," Rouge answered somewhat solemnly, watching the star fall into the planet's atmosphere.

BOOM.

Said star suddenly detonated, flashing brightly and causing everyone to cover their eyes. Its horrendous shine plaid on for what felt like forever before finally dying it. Rouge and everyone else stared to the skies after the explosion, noticing the star had faded away. The bat stood there for a few more seconds, before running to the Tornado.

She jumped into its cockpit, her fingers flipping switches and turning the engines on. The engine howled, the propeller twirled, the jet engine ignited, and with a gentle push, the bat was on her way. She used the hills of Emerald Hill Zone to help propel her skyward, where she began flying to where the star once fell. She roared into the skies, determination on her face, hands grinding into the controls of her plane. Her eyes lined the skies closely, picking out anything that looked out of place. All she saw were metal fragments falling to the earth however, and not what she really searched for.

"Dammit, Shadow," Rouge cursed, feeling desperate, "Where are you? Where are you?"

She looked over the edge of the Tornado, where something caught her eye. A small black object among the steel ones, falling just as fast. She turned the Tornado and pointed it down, now speeding up to catch up with the object. Upon further inspection, she could see the red stripes and jet black fur, among other things. She flew through the fallen debris of the Death Egg, aiming for the hedgehog as she dodged metal pieces and rubble.

"SHADOW!" Rouge shouted from the Tornado, trying to jostle the unconscious hedgehog, "SHADOW!"

"Rouge..." he mumbled, her voice getting to him through all the wind.

His eyes opened, only to close. Then they opened again, only to close again. Then they shot open like lightning, and stayed open. He stared to the endless blue and white skies beneath him, immediately operating at 100% capacity as his adrenaline spiked.

"What the!? How'd I get here!?" he shouted.

If he didn't do something fast, he'd was going to die. He could hear a certain plane howl behind him, making him look over his shoulder. The Tornado rushed behind him, with Rouge reaching out with her hand. Shadow reached out as well, as the bat got closer and closer.

But then Rouge's eyes grew wide, and her hand pulled away. Shadow didn't understand why, until he looked at his own hand. His black fur was turning a golden-yellow. Said golden shine took his entire body, turning the once black hedgehog a shimmering yellow.

KERPOW!

"WHAT THEEEEEEEEEE!?" his voice roared over the winds as he was suddenly catapulted far away.

Rouge stared at the sight with eyes wide, confused by what she just saw. Shadow turned yellow – much like a star – then rocketed across the skies in a golden-yellow streak. It was something she had never seen before. Pressing on the gas of the Tornado, she pulled up and flew toward Shadow, her jet engine working at maximum output.

The Black Wind hurtled through the skies at speeds to fast to quantify. It's not like he could fly naturally; his air shoes could only help him hover at most. But right now, he was flying. Only for said power to die out. Shadow turned black and immediately began falling, with no control over himself or his actions. He slammed into the green grass of Emerald Hill Zone, uprooting dirt and rubble as he bounced from the sudden impact. And, yeah, it hurt like hell.

Then he turned yellow again, and shot off once more. He flew toward another hill, turned back to black, then slammed the edge of the hill. He once again bounced off the grassy knoll, howled in pain, turned golden-yellow, then shot off once more like a rocket. This time, slamming into a hill's side.

Rouge flew over Emerald Hill Zone in search of her friend, before seeing the destruction carved into the earth. She flew down toward the destruction, sliding down onto the hills gently as she searched for her friend. Her eyes eventually fell upon a hill, where seeing it made her break out into uncontrollably laughter.

Shadow was in the hill, upside down, smoldering hot, stuck to the hill like a gum to a wall.

"Ow..." he grumbled, before falling off and landing face first into the grass beneath.

Rouge leaped out of the Tornado, then walked over to the hedgehog who laid on the ground, smiling as she watched him roll to his back. He opened his eyes eventually, where his first sight back on earth was a certain white-furred bat smiling down upon him.

"Hello, Shadow honey," she said as she reached down with her hands, "Had a nice time in space?"

"Don't patronize me, Rouge," he retorted as he grabbed her hand, a smile on his face, "I don't feel like it right now."

He stood at her sight, and in unison they stared to the skies. The metallic shards of the Death Egg were being burned up in the planets atmosphere, appearing like daytime shooting stars. Or maybe even like fireworks, and its only appropriate the the provider of these fireworks was the doctor himself.

As Shadow and Rouge climbed the hills to stand on the very top, there was such celebration behind them. It were as if all of West Side Island gave a collective breath of relief, for all zones were now freed from Robotnik's evil control. The animals played, families were reunited with one another, and Badnik factories were shut down for good.

But all wasn't well. There were a few loose ends to tie up. Rouge looked at Shadow as he grew serious. Stepping back, she watched as the hedgehog hunched down. One by one, the seven Chaos Emeralds appeared around his body in a ring. Green, red, blue, light-blue, yellow, silver, and purple all appeared around the hedgehog. He began glowing bright, turning that golden-yellow color again.

"Chaos..." he mumbled, before throwing out his limbs and exclaiming, "CONTROL!"

Much like South Island before, a golden wave spread from Shadow's body onto the entire island of West Side. Each and every zone was bathed in a fantastic light, as all Badniks were simultaneously deactivated or destroyed. Any robian cursed to be roboticized by the doctor was too cleansed of this, becoming regular mobians once again. And the many factories he forged were all shut down, ready to be claimed by age and nature once more.

For added flavor, the island became far more beautiful. Flowers sprouted from the ground, as if life had been breathed back into the region. When it was all said and done, the seven Chaos Emeralds vanished. Shadow powered back down from that golden glow, turning black and red once more.

"Book ends..." Shadow said as he nearly fell over, instead landing into Rouge's arms, "Few... Rouge..."

"Yes, Shadow?" the bat asked as she held him.

"I need a vacation..."

"Well," she said with a giggle, "I know of a place..." her lips descended near his ear, "Rumor has it... there's a floating island..."

…

Many heroes bask in the limelight of their victory. They mingle with their subordinates who worship the ground they walk on, and they may even party with them. Most heroes adore the lives they live as heroes. As those idols people look up to. Those idols people rely upon for victory.

But the Black Wind was no such hero. When those who wished to thank him for his help came to do so, he'd pull back into the shadows. He'd vanish, disappear, make his way back home. He didn't save the world because it would get him recognized, but he did it because it was simply the right thing to do. Injustices needed to be punished, that's how he felt. And when said punishment was dealt, he'd return from wince he came.

"Oh! Hi, Shadow honey!"

She was a purple-blue hedgehog. Green eyes, blonde turf of hair on her head, wearing a purple dress. Clearly older than the hedgehog who walked in to see her. She smiled at him with warmth and love, before reaching down and ruffling his black quills with her hand. Even though he didn't show it, he reciprocated her love.

"Hi mom," the Black Wind replied, somewhat exhausted, as he kissed her on the cheek.

"Jules! Shadow's home!" the blue hedgehog called into her home.

"What was that Bernie?" said hedgehog answered from somewhere else inside, before walking out from a hall.

He was another blue hedgehog, one with greying-brown hair flowing from his head. He was wearing a red jacket and red boots, and appeared to have been working hard that day. When he walked out of the room, he yawned a bit then dropped the wrench in his hand upon a table, then gained this smile that could melt anyone's heart.

"Ah! Shadow m'boy! Came home to see ya parents?" Jules said as he crossed his arms.

He walked up to the black and red hedgehog then patted him on the shoulder, only to see someone else poke her head into the building behind his son. His smile didn't diminish, though it did change in size. His eyes slid down into a half glare, while he looked at the bat.

"Ah... hello Miss Rouge," he said as he snaked his way to her side, "And how's my son's friend doing this fine evening?"

"Hello, Mr. Jules," Rouge replied with a her usual wiles.

"Oh..." Bernie grumbled, arms crossed as she looked at the bat with her usual eyes of disdain, "If it isn't Rouge the bat..." she grumbled, "So... what were you and my son doing over this week?"

"I have a mind of what happened," Jules said with a chuckle before making his way to the living room's recliner chair, "Ah... that's the stuff..." he groaned as he leaned back in it.

"I'm tired," Shadow said as he rubbed his head with a yawn, "I'm going to go to sleep..."

"But, wait, Shadow," Rouge said as she called out to him while he walked up his home's stairs, "What about me? How am I gonna get home?"

"I won't be sleeping for long," Shadow claimed as he yawned again, "When I wake up, I'll get you home as fast as I can..." he scratched the nape of his neck, "I just really need to get some rest. Make yourself at home, Rouge..."

He made his way upstairs and vanished soon after, with Rouge hearing a door open, close, and a bed being pressed down. Eyes falling back down into the living room, she stared at Shadow's parents. Jules laid in his recliner chair, green eyes on the small TV before him, not really paying attention to the baseball game currently being played. Bernie herself sighed and made way for her own chair oppose to Jules. She sat down and grabbed a few knitting materials, where she began to nonchalantly sow something together. A Chao flew from the areas kitchen and sat on her shoulder; she rubbed it, then went back to sowing.

It was all very awkward, honestly. Rouge herself sat down in a chair on the opposite side of them; Shadow's chair. Both Jules and Bernie looked up at her as she did so, only to return to their own devices. Rouge felt very small in their presence. She lost most of that sultry allure of hers, and became more timid around them. She pulled in her knees, coughed a bit to break the tension, then slid her hands together.

"Mind telling me what you and my son were doing, Rouge?" Bernie asked finally, head turning to stare at the bat, "I haven't seen him so tired in quite some time."

"Oh... we went to West Side Island," the bat said nonchalantly.

"You did?" Jules replied, "Hm... Chuck's been tryin' to get in contact with someone on West Side for some time now... he was beginning to worry..."

"Yeeeeaaaaaaaah," the bat said as she scratched the back of her head, "We kinda ran into trouble while we were there..."

"And what trouble might that be?" Bernie inquired, eyebrow raised.

"The kind of trouble that deals with an evil doctor..."

The two hedgehogs stopped immediately, where their eyes fell on the bat together. They stared at her long and hard, before Jules began shaking his head. He went back to watching the TV, and Bernie went back to sowing. Neither said said a word. Until Jules asked,

"Did he get'em?"

"Yeah... he got'em..."

"Good..."

They grew silent again, even while Jules gave an uneasy sigh. Rouge on the other hand realized something; she was sitting in the room with her partner's parents. Anything she asked of Shadow pertaining to his past would be swatted away without a moments hesitation. But with Jules and Bernie, maybe he could ask something and get answers. Real answers.

"I hope you don't mind me asking," her goes, "But... there's a lot of things Shadow doesn't tell me. A lot of things dealing with... well..."

"Why he's a black and red hedgehog and why we're both blue... or purple-blue in Bernie's case?" Jules inquired, before getting a swatting hand from his wife.

"Jules, no," she said, "Shadow should tell her if he wants to."

"No, no, I know my son," Jules claimed as he slid forward on his recliner chair, "Rouge... how would you feel if I told you Shadow – my son – is from space..."

"From space?" Rouge said with a smirk, "Yeah right; you have to be kidding me!"

But neither Jules nor Bernie lost the serious visage on their faces. They stared at Rouge who tried to hand-wave it off, only to come to the realization that they weren't playing. She grew somewhat wide-eyed as she pulled back in her chair, thinking about what they said. If Shadow were some sort of alien, it would make a lot of sense. After all, his powers weren't normal. He was either an extraterrestrial, or a demon from hell.

But she just couldn't accept that. Accept the fact that her friend wasn't from this world. She laughed again and waved her hand as she shook her head, then stared up to the two with one eyebrow raised.

"No way," she stated, "Shadow can't be from space..."

"We don't know if Shadow's from space or not," Bernie stated, glaring at Jules for his statement, "We honestly don't know where Shadow's from. We just think he's from space..." she sighed as she stopped sowing, instead gazing down to her lap, "Don't say this, okay? Shadow doesn't know this... he doesn't know he's not our child though... he's too smart to think I gave birth to him..." she teared up a bit, but wiped it away, "Too smart..."

"Why do you say that?" Rouge asked, feeling the emotion in the woman's voice.

"Bernie's bar-"

"Jules! Shut up!" Bernie shouted at him as he froze up in place, "Don't finish that!"

"Okay, okay..." he said as he sighed, "Sorry... dear... I didn't mean to hurt you like that..."

"Huh... Rouge," Bernie grumbled, "We found Shadow. More specifically, Jules and his brother Charles did... Chuck had this stupid idea of his and asked Jules to help him out in it. Chuck wanted to build a dinner and got all the equipment and machinery necessary. Jules went with him to start on the dig sight before any of the heavier machinery came. It didn't take them too long..."

"We dug for little more than a hours to get everything ready," Jules suddenly said, "When I hit something... something metal. I thought it was a pipe, but..."

…

DINK!

"Hey! Chuck! I hit something!" Jules shouted as he gazed down with his shovel, "I think it's a pipe or... somethin..."

"It ain't no pipe," a blue hedgehog with a growing mustache replied as he walked up, "They're are no pipes this far out of Green Hill Zone!"

"Well," DINK! "I'm hittin' somethin' here! And if it ain't no pipe, then I'd like to know what the hell it is!"

"Darnit, Jules," Chuck said as he walked up beside his brother, "Give me that shovel! You're probably hittin' a rock or..." DINK! "Somethin'...?"

"Toldya!"

"Dig around it... c'mon, give me a hand..."

We dug around that area for a good while, both wondering what we were getting ourselves into. I must've heard Chuck say 'It's gotta be a rock' like seven hundred times... until we got all that dirt and gravel out of the way and found something else...

"Uh... Chuck... this ain't no rock..."

They both stared down to it together, as a piece of rusted metal jutted out at them. Jules got down on one knee and began swatting away the dust, as he noticed words sticking out at him.

"Space... Colony... Ark?" the hedgehog said in confusion, "Chuck, you keep up to date with this science crap... what's a Space Colony Ark?"

"I don't know..." he remarked as he looked at the machine, "Looks like one of those Soviet satellites if you hear me..."

"C'mon... let's see what's going on in here..."

They dug out the rest of the dirt around the area, revealing more machine and then glass. The sight of the glass definitely made them pull back, as they realized they were getting into something weird. They continued digging and digging, pulling out more and more of this machine until...

"Dear God..." Jules murmured as they revealed most of the machine.

Inside of this capsule – as it appeared to be – was a hedgehog. A black and red hedgehog, wearing a weird space suit with the words 'PROJECT SHADOW' written upon it. He was silent, still, unmoving, appearing to be dead. Jules reached down and dusted off some more of the dirt covering the glass, before pulling back.

"Oh... oh man..." Chuck mumbled as he walked back, "What do we do now?"

"What do we do now?" Jules replied as he faced his brother, "We leave that... thing! Right here! Clearly its something one of those humans sent, and we ain't got no business messin' with it! So leave it the hell alone, and... Chuck, what are you doin'!?"

"C'mon, help me get this to your truck," his brother asked as he began pulling on the capsule's front end.

"To my truck!?" Jules replied, hands in his hair, "What are you talkin' about? Charles! Charles!"

"Either help me or get quiet, Jules!"

"Ah... darnit..."

They both began pulling on the machine, realizing it was far heavier than they originally believed. It took both of them just to drag it to the car, and all of their strength to lift it to the truck's lift. When dropping it on the red vehicle, the truck bounced a bit from the incredible size. Then Chuck draped a blanket over the majority of the machine, while Jules got into the driver's seat.

"Oh man!" Jules said as he peeled away from the location, heading straight for home, "Now what, Charles!? Now freaking what!? We take this... thing back to my house and bury it again!?"

"No, no," his brother said, "Just shut up and stop freaking out over there, Jules!"

"Stop freaking out!?" he roared back, "We have a freaking alien in a tube in my truck! And you tell me to stop freaking out!? Boy what is wrong with you!?" he looked forward to the roads, "I can't even believe you talked me into doing this!? You... YOU!"

Bernie walked out of her home with her hand on her neck, cracking the bones inside. Just in time to see her husband driving the family trunk wildly.

"Oh great..." she groaned, "Now I have to deal with drunken Jules again..."

You did not say that...

Oh yes I did...

I did not drive home drunk that often! Woman! You need to stop spreadin' lies! Darnit... anyway...

"Bernie! Open the barn doors!" Jules shouted from the window as he stopped the truck outside his barn.

"Why?" she replied as she began tugging on the barn's door.

"JUST DO IT!"

She rose an eyebrow at his body language and voice, realizing Jules was being serious. Too serious; if this were one of his drunken moments, he was acting too clear and sober. She did as she was told and opened the barn doors, while Jules drove the truck inside in reverse. Parking the the truck, he quickly got out the vehicle and ran to the barn's doors. Closing them shut, he made sure to lock them with good chains.

"Jules... what's going on?" Bernie asked, noticing her husband's dire actions. How he paced the floor, how he constantly spoke to himself, how he generally darted around like a chicken with its head cut off, "JULES!"

"What!?"

"Calm down!"

"Easier said than done, Bernie," he replied as he walked back to his truck, "Guess what me and Chuck found at his stupid dinner's dig spot!"

"What might that be?" she inquired, eyebrow raised.

"Bernie, don't hate me for this," Chuck himself said as he removed the sheet covering the pod they found.

She walked to the truck's lift, her eyes lining its metallic hull. She immediately covered her mouth from the situation, stunned by what she was seeing. Looking at the machine, she stared at the black and red hedgehog who laid inside the capsule.

"Is he...?" she asked as she reached out for it.

"Bernie! Don't you dare touch that!" Jules commanded, before grabbing his brother by the collar, "Now, Chuck, I love you. I've helped you out on a lot of things, even joined the army with ya, but this! This!? This is faaaaaar out of my – BERNIE! DON'T TOUCH THAT! - comfort zone! Now you better figure out what we do with this thing or so help me Go-"

PPPSSSSSSSHHHHHHTTTT!

"Oops..."

Bernie pulled her hand back, stunned by what she just did. She only pressed the side of the machine, not realizing her hand pressed upon a button. She pulled her hand back as she stared up to the capsule, watching as smoke flowed from slots on the side. Said smoke flowed through out the area, covering everyone. Bernie continued staring to the capsule even as her vision was blinded by the smog.

But then, in it all, she saw a shadow approach her. She stepped back, as the fog in her immediate area began to dissipate. The shadow revealed itself to be that black and red hedgehog. Standing in the capsule, eyes closed, body slumped over.

"Ugh..." he grumbled before falling forward, where he landed into her awaiting arms.

The purple-blue hedgehog remained frozen, unsure of what she should do. Slowly moving her head as to not agitate the hedgehog in her arms, she stared at her husband and brother-in-law. Both Jules and Chuck gazed back, neither moving, neither knowing what to say. Jules eventually gave her specific commands with hand gestures and subtle lips movements. All of which said 'Put him down'.

But Bernie didn't. She stared down to to the hedgehog in her arms, holding him close in her arms. He felt so weak in her hold. He was a young thing. Only a child. If she could say what his age was, she'd say around fourteen. She tugged on him a bit to see if he were still alive. The groan he gave before showed life still flowed in his veins, albeit weak life.

"Jules..." Bernie said as she looked at her husband, "We need to get him to a bed..."

…

"And he hasn't learned how to get off of that bed yet," Jules said smugly, "He even has his own home, but he still comes back here to sleep. Free loader..."

He gave a hard yawn as he turned the channel, instead flipping it to tennis. All the while, Bernie shook her head it annoyance toward her husband. Her eyes eventually traveled to an engorged Rouge, who listened to the story deeply. But it appeared to be over as neither side continued.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, what happened next?" Rouge asked.

"I think you've heard enough, Rouge," Bernie said as she finished knitting what appeared to be a knit cap, "I don't want to tell all of Shadow's secrets here," she shifted her Chao from her shoulder to her lap instead, "It's not in our place to tell you these things... especially considering the fact that we haven't told Shadow this yet..."

"How couldn't you have told Shadow this yet?" Rouge asked as she leaned forward a bit more.

"Because we don't know what Shadow is," Bernie stated, looking at the bat in her eyes, "We don't know if he's mobian or... if he's something else... I've never heard of this 'Space Colony Ark' before or this 'Project Shadow' either... but I do know one thing. Shadow is our son. He's our son. And I don't care if he's some science project gone wrong, or the son of some alien demon or whatever... I wouldn't give him up for the world."

"Wait," Jules then interjected, "I thought we agreed that if Shadow was the son of some alien demon, we'd give him up to her biological father to save the planet."

"Shut up Jules..."

"Eeeyaaaaaahh..." Shadow's voice groaned from upstairs, making Jules look up briefly.

"Well, looks like Maurice woke up."

"Maurice...?" Rouge repeated, confused by his statement, "What are you talking about?"

"What do you mean what am I talking about?" Jules asked as he looked at her, "Maurice. That's Shadow's name."

"What?" Rouge replied, completely flabbergasted, "What are you talking about?"

"Maurice is Shadow's name, Rouge. His real name. What, do you honestly believe we'd name our son 'Shadow'? We named him that because his suit said Shadow on it when we found him... what..." he cocked his head and smirked, "You've spent all this time with Shadow and never knew his real name was Maurice? My boy's really good at keeping secrets!"

"What secrets?" Shadow inquired as he walked down the stairs of his parents home, yawning a bit before crossing his arms.

"Nothing, Shadow," Bernie said as she walked up to him, "I think you should head on home. Jules and I have already had dinner, so don't expect me to cook you up anything."

"It's okay," Shadow answered as he walked past his mother to Rouge, "I have a date to make anyway. C'mon Rouge, let me take you home..."

"Of course... Maurice..."

Shadow came to a sudden stop at the door when she said that name. Hearing her giggle caused him to glare at her. It was a powerful glare, one he had given to Dr. Robotnik many times before. But to Rouge, she found it so endearing.

"Don't... ever... call me that again..." he snarled at her as he pushed the door open.

"Sure thing... Maurice..."

"Urrrr! Get in the Tornado!"

"What's wrong, Maurice!? You don't like your name!?" she laughed as she followed him out of the home and too the red biplane which was parked outside the hedgehog's small home.

While the two walked toward the plane and Rouge laughed at him, Bernie watched them from her doorway. She shook her head at the sight then posed in a 'why do I bother' like way, before turning to face her husband.

"Of all the girls on the planet, why did he have to choose her? Seriously, Jules, what does he see in her?"

"If you can't see what my son sees in her, then Bernie you need to get your eyes checked..."

She gave a hard snarl at him, before closing the door shut.

…

Ma-Ri-A... Maria... E-Series Model M Ver. 3.2.2. Maria Robotnik corrupted. Loading E-Series Model M Ver. 3.2.1.

Ruined. All of his plans were ruined. But how? The West Side Island operation was full-proof. Full-proof. He should've succeeded. He should have crushed Shadow the hedgehog under his foot like a bug. In fact, he did crush Shadow the hedgehog under his foot like a bug! Then how!? How!? How did he fail!? How was his perfect plan a spectacular failure?

How...?

The door to the Egg Emperor suddenly flew open, as a foot struck it from behind. It fell down into the ruined scrap heap of the area, mixing in with the destruction. Shortly after, a portly man fell from the door way, landing on the hard ground with a painful THUD!

He writhed in pain upon the floor, grasping as his back and chest. He could barely stand, but with the help of his cane, he was able to do so. He leaned upon his fallen Egg Emperor for support, then gazed around his masterpiece. The Death Egg, humbly destroyed like it was nothing. The crowned gym of his eye, worked upon for years, gone just like that. So too the Chaos Emerald, which helped provide the power and energy to create such a thing.

"Hah... I can't believe it..." Robotnik groaned, "How...? HOW!?" he grunted and covered his face with his hands, then laid flat on the ground, "How...? URRRGGGH! DAMN YOU SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU!"

"Doctor..."

His eyes opened and he looked up. Hovering just above him was a blue light. A hologram. Said hologram took the form of a blonde woman in formal business attire.

"M... Ma... Maria?" he answered as he looked up to her, watching her smile back down upon him.

Robotnik struggled to his feet after seeing her, standing on his knees as she smiled down upon him. He eventually found the energy to stand, all the while the holographic woman looked him up and down. Her face turned into one of unhappiness, only to transform into a smile again.

"You're hurt, Ivo," she said, "But I've already sent the few remaining First-Aid Badniks we have on the Death Egg here to help you."

"Maria, where are we?" Robotnik asked as he got to his feet, using the cane to keep himself balanced.

"We've landed in water," Maria stated as she looked around to the sunlight gazing through the hull of the room's ceiling, "It cushioned our fall from space, which is why we're still alive right now."

"We've landed in water?" Robotnik repeated as he looked around too, "The ocean? Which ocean?"

"Not the ocean," Maria said, making Robotnik look at her with an inquisitive eye, "We've landed in a lake somewhere..."

"What lake is big enough to hold the Death Egg?" Robotnik inquired, "Maria, what zone have we fallen in?"

"Negative..." Maria answered, making the doctor pull back, "We haven't landed in a lake that shows up in my systems. It's not within any of my databanks, anyway... give me a second..."

Maria lifted her arm, causing the arm of the Egg Emperor to rise as well. With a simple swipe of her arm, she caused the arm to fly into the wall, destroying it and creating a hole. As Maria stated, they had landed in a lake, for land was visible from their spot. As well as a large mountain with snow covered peaks.

"Maria..." Robotnik mumbled, "Where are we?"

Angel Island


End file.
